The biggest shopping days of the year are nearly here. Many brands are already running their holiday ad campaigns, leveraging media channels, ad strategies, and customer experiences to position themselves top-of-mind when people start putting together their shopping lists.
But what are shoppers planning this year? Amid economic uncertainty in the upcoming holiday season, customer expectations are evolving faster than most brands can keep up. That’s a recipe for mismatches between brands and their customers. It’s also an opportunity for smart brands to reach customers more effectively.
To help brands connect with their customers, we released 2025 Holiday Spending and Insights, a report breaking down the real-world shopping behaviors you should expect to see this holiday season, created in partnership with Experian Marketing Services, a leader in privacy-forward data and insights.
Here are 4 key findings from the report that explore the critical customer behaviors that will drive the 2025 holiday shopping season and how brands can meet (and exceed!) expectations.
The 2025 Shopping Season: Key Info You Need to Know
1. Strategize with physical store shopping in mind
The in-store experience remains a critical part of the holiday journey. 80% of consumers still prefer the in-store experience, often finding items online and then going to brick-and-mortar locations to see the products in person before making purchases. Hybrid shopping habits are the new normal. Consumers browse online, buy in-store, and choose fulfillment options that minimize cost and hassle.
What you can do about it
- Target and advertise with location in mind and remember different categories of shoppers behave differently. 58% of luxury and apparel shoppers will drive 5+ miles to shop, while big-box shoppers stay closer to home (2-5 miles). Download the report for more location data.
- In 2024, the biggest day for in-store shopping was Saturday, Dec. 7. Black Friday is still a big day for in-store shopping, but capitalizing on foot traffic requires a season-long effort.
2. Shoppers are spending, but they’re more selective
Most shoppers are spending more intentionally. The report’s purchase data shows that while transactions were up YoY for H1 2025 especially in value-driven categories, transaction frequency fell in July lower than the previous 2 years. That points to tightening budgets for consumers, who will start to prioritize deals over brand loyalty.
What you can do about it
- Emphasize value-based messaging.
- Reach your audience at the right time to capitalize on intent. Try triggering ads with real-time location targeting to reach audiences while they shop.
3. Pacing will shape performance
Nearly half (45%) of consumers say they’ll begin shopping before November to avoid stress and score better deals. But most (62%) expect they’ll still be shopping into December. Winning marketers will need to nail the timing, building brand affinity across channels without burning budget too early.
What you can do about it
- Start promotions early, sustain momentum with fresh offers, and stay active during late-season surges.
- Don’t just plan around the big names like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Stretch your strategy across the full “Turkey 12” and beyond.
- Go omnichannel: optimize across multiple channels to drive budgetary efficiency
4. Marketers and consumers may have misaligned expectations
66% of marketers expect holiday spend to rise this year, but only 22% of consumers expect to spend more this year. That’s a significant disconnect that can very easily translate to wasted ad spend. It’s not enough just to throw massive budgets and great creative around hoping to drive customers. Brands need to activate on the right platforms AND ensure that messages reach shoppers when and where they’re paying attention.
What you can do about it
- Invest in omnichannel advertising campaigns. Massive reach from single channels isn’t enough. Cross-channel engagement always wins the day.
- Reach the right audience, not just a large audience. Brands that reach the right audience consistently across platforms will be better equipped to reduce waste, build trust, and drive results at scale
Want More?
We’re just scratching the surface here. For more insights on the upcoming shopping season, get your copy of 2025 Holiday Spending Trends and Insights, a collaborative guide from Experian and GroundTruth.
Ready to get started? Create your GroundTruth Ads Manager account today, and start exploring our platform (no minimum spend required). And, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.