Holiday Shopping Trends to Watch in 2024–2025

Two new charts help paint a clear picture of what matters most heading into 2025: which sales events shoppers value most, and how they plan to shop across channels.

Black Friday Still Reigns—But New Contenders Are Gaining Ground

The first chart shows that Black Friday remains the top seasonal shopping priority, inching up from 61% in 2024 to 62% in 2025. But the story behind the other events is even more telling:

• Prime Day-style events continue to grow in relevance, rising from 37% to 39%—a sign that mid-year discounting has become a firmly established shopping moment.
  

• End-of-season sales are gaining traction, jumping from 28% to 33% as budget-conscious consumers look for predictable opportunities to save.
  

• Friends & Family sales—once niche—have climbed from 19% to 24%, suggesting shoppers are broadening their deal-seeking behavior beyond traditional tentpole events.

Meanwhile, Cyber Monday dipped slightly (from 47% to 45%), possibly reflecting how Black Friday sales increasingly extend into multi-day or week-long online promotions.

Consumers Still Prefer Hybrid Shopping—But Online Continues to Expand

Despite headlines proclaiming the “return of in-person shopping,” the data tells a more nuanced story:

Black Friday: Online edges up

• Online-only participation rises from 35% to 38% in 2025.
  

• In-person-only dips slightly (12% to 11%).
  

• Both channels remain dominant, with just over half of shoppers blending online and in-store tactics.

Friends & Family Sales: A shift toward online?

• Online-only grows from 20% to 21%.
  

• In-person-only ticks up as well, from 24% to 26%.
  

• The share of shoppers using both channels dips (56% to 53%), suggesting this sale type is becoming more polarized between digital and store-focused shoppers.

End-of-Season Sales: Still the most hybrid-driven

• Nearly two-thirds of shoppers used both channels in 2024—dropping to a still-strong 60% in 2025.
  

• In-person-only purchasing rises from 17% to 20%, reflecting renewed interest in clearance racks and physical browsing.

Across all three categories, the trend is unmistakable: online continues to grow, but consumers aren’t abandoning physical stores—they’re simply using them more strategically.

What This Means for Brands & Retailers

Hybrid is here to stay. Even as digital shopping strengthens, in-store experiences remain essential to conversion.

Early and extended sales matter. With Prime Day-style events rising and Black Friday stretching across weeks, consumers now expect deals outside traditional dates.

Personalized savings win. The surge in Friends & Family sale importance suggests shoppers respond strongly to targeted, loyalty-driven promotions.

Bottom Line

Consumers are more value-driven, more informed, and more channel-fluid than ever. Retailers that meet shoppers where they are—offering flexible fulfillment, personalized promotions, and consistent value across both digital and physical touchpoints—will hold the advantage this coming season.