Sunscreen, long days at the pool, no school, hot dogs on the grill, and….the holiday season. A tradition unlike any other here at Basis, but it is that time of year when our Research team digs into the holiday season! Now that we are officially under 180 days until Black Friday, what better time to update you on how you can sleigh your media plans this upcoming Q4.

Our Research team has put together their 2025 Holiday Trends deck, with a forecast for what to expect in 2025 in addition to a lookback at the 2024 season. You can find the deck here: 2025 Holiday Trends.pptx as well as the top 5 things brands and retailers should know as they begin to prepare for the holiday season below:

  • Stricter budgets, but higher spending overall
    • Shoppers are planning carefully and see the importance in setting budgets more often than in 2024.
    • Yet, anticipated per-person spend is actually higher, especially among high-income groups. Thoughtful, values-based purchases are on the rise.
  • The new administration is shaping mindsets
    • Over half of respondents say the 2024 election and transition to a new administration will influence how much they spend through both caution and optimism, depending on political outlook.
  • Retailer boycotts are becoming behavior, not just belief
    • 30% of consumers say they plan to stop shopping at a retailer this holiday season due to political, ethical, or social reasons signaling a tangible shift from passive values to active decision-making at checkout.
  • Search and social are gaining ground in discovery
    • More shoppers say they’re influenced by sponsored search results and social media content this year.
    • This is especially prevalent in Gen Z, who are increasingly using platforms like TikTok and Instagram as primary gift-finding and purchasing tools.
  • Shopping events matter less so timing is more personal
    • Slightly fewer people are timing their shopping around major sales events, like Black Friday or Cyber Monday in 2025.
    • Consumers are instead spreading out purchases to suit personal schedules and budget flow making always-on messaging and promotions more important.