Discover how the 2025 holiday shopper journey has evolved with digital habits, shoppable formats, and AI and what marketers need to know to adapt.
As the 2025 holiday season fast approaches, one thing is clear: the shopper journey has evolved over the past few years. The traditional sales funnel has given way to a dynamic, multi-touch experience driven by discovery, convenience, and technology. From early-bird deal hunters in October to last-minute December buyers relying on AI for recommendations, consumers are rewriting the rules of seasonal shopping, forcing marketers to adapt quickly in order to meet them where they scroll.
Our latest survey of 2,000 shoppers across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and France, reveals how digital-first habits, shoppable ad formats, and AI tools are defining this year’s retail rush. Here’s what every marketer needs to know to stay ahead.
The race for the holiday cart is now starting earlier than ever. As concerns around inflation grow, deal-savvy shoppers are taking a proactive approach to lock in gifts and discounts well before the seasonal campaigns traditionally launch. For brands, this shift means the window for influence has widened, but so has the competition.
Driven by tighter budgets and the fear of missing early deals, more than half of consumers begin their holiday shopping by October. According to our research, 34% plan to begin once Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions start, leaving just a small group of true last-minute buyers.
For brands, that means waiting until late November to communicate with consumers is no longer an option. Early campaigns, especially those focused on awareness and inspiration, can capture shoppers while intent is high and competition is low. Launching promotions, teaser content, or countdown creatives in early Q4 ensures your brand stays top-of-mind as consumers move from browsing to buying.
The holiday shopping experience no longer begins on Main Street. Instead, it begins on a screen. Today's consumers scroll, tap, and watch their way through product options, seeking inspiration from creators, communities, and reviews. Gift inspiration starts online as discovery itself has become a form of shopping.
Shoppers are spending more time exploring ideas across YouTube, retailer websites, and social platforms. Together, these digital spaces influence nearly every purchasing decision. Our research shows that 60% of shoppers primarily buy online and 42% browse online weekly for gift ideas. Video reviews, influencer recommendations, and curated shopping experiences are quickly replacing in-store browsing.
To stay visible, brands should invest in discovery-driven placements that connect inspiration and conversion in a unified experience.
As shoppers scroll through deals and gift guides, every impression is a chance to convert, but only if the path to purchase is seamless. Convenience is the new currency and interactivity is how brands earn it.
Holiday ads aren't just about storytelling; they're about utility. Consumers want to act on what they see without friction, and interactive ad formats like product carousels deliver exactly that. In testing, shoppable enhancements drove a 53% increase in comprehension of advertised products and a 30% lift in understanding of pricing. These formats help shoppers browse, compare, and even purchase without leaving the page, allowing for both convenience and immediacy.
Marketers who pair high-impact creative with interactivity can bridge the gap between awareness and action. Think of shoppable ads not as add-ons but as the connective tissue between inspiration and transaction.
Artificial intelligence has officially entered as a key player in the holiday shopping season. Shoppers are no longer navigating the buying process alone. Instead, they’re chatting with digital assistants, asking for advice, and receiving personalized recommendations in real time.
More than one in three shoppers (37%) have already used an AI chatbot to help with their gift hunt. Whether being used to compare prices, surface deals, or generate personalized gift ideas, AI is having a major impact on the way people shop.
Looking ahead, 35% of shoppers say they’re interested in trying AI for future holiday shopping, particularly for real-time deal alerts, delivery tracking, and demand prediction. This creates a new frontier for marketers: integrating AI-powered assistance into customer touchpoints. From personalized product recommendations to conversational commerce experiences, AI can turn passive scrolling into guided discovery, helping brands build loyalty and trust while saving shoppers time and money.
The holiday shopper’s journey in 2025 is no longer linear; it’s digital, dynamic, and driven by discovery. From early deal-seekers to last-minute buyers relying on AI, today’s consumers expect every scroll to deliver relevance, convenience, and inspiration.
To win the holiday shopping season, marketers must think beyond the cart: show up early, show up smart, and show up where it matters. Your creative, your channels, and your data strategy need to work together because in today’s landscape, every click counts.
Summary
As Brand Marketing Coordinator at Equativ, Matthew supports a wide range of marketing initiatives, including social media, blog content, employer branding, and events. He also leads the company’s Thought Leadership program, advancing Equativ’s global presence through strategic participation in industry events, public relations, media engagements, and award submissions.
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