One of the biggest changes is when people start shopping for gifts. Increasingly, consumers are bringing forward their holiday purchases: many plan to start before November, and a significant share will continue buying throughout December. This blurs the traditional focus on Black Friday and Cyber Monday and stretches the holiday shopping period over several months. This extended calendar benefits both cautious shoppers and retailers who know how to adapt their offerings to this more spread-out consumption pattern.
Product categories and sales channels also reflect this new landscape. Consumers are combining early online research with in-store visits to check products, compare prices or make sure items are in stock. This hybrid strategy—researching digitally and completing the purchase in a physical store—shows that, while e-commerce continues to grow, brick-and-mortar outlets still play a key role as validation spaces. Retailers that manage to integrate online and offline channels seamlessly will have a clear advantage.
Another defining feature of 2025 is the rediscovery of emotional and functional value over ostentatious luxury. Purchase decisions are no longer driven solely by price or brand name: people are prioritising gifts that provide utility, memories or wellbeing. For many consumers, “value” means practicality or meaning—an essential factor in times of economic pressure.
For brands and retailers, this is both a challenge and an opportunity: they must offer reasonable prices while also connecting emotionally with their audience. Loyalty strategies, personalisation (enabled by technology) and honest value positioning—far from excess—will be crucial. At the same time, the rise of mobile technology, rapid delivery and the combined use of digital channels and physical stores call for logistical adaptation and smart investment.
The diversity of shoppers is also reshaping the holiday market. Different age groups, social profiles and income levels are all present: some consume cautiously, others seek small affordable luxuries, while others prioritise emotional gifts or experiences. Brands need to recognise these differences and provide flexible offers that respond to these varied expectations.
The 2025 holiday season will see a more thoughtful consumer, shaped by the economic environment but still eager to celebrate and give with intention. Shopping will no longer be just an act of consumption, but a purposeful decision: to provide value, reinforce bonds and create experiences—doing so with care and common sense. For retailers, the key will be understanding this new mindset, offering clarity, quality and flexibility, and building trust-based relationships. In this way, what has traditionally been a period of massive spending can become an opportunity to reinvent a more sustainable, thoughtful and human way of consuming.
