Global cloud communications platform Infobip’s 2025 shopping season survey has revealed the festive period really does start earlier each year. Nearly half of consumers (47%) now expect to receive promotions by the end of October with a further 31% preferring early November. The findings highlight a clear shift in consumer behaviour, with shoppers eager to plan ahead and brands needing to respond earlier to capture attention.
The study also shows that personalisation and AI are driving the shopping experience:
- 76% of consumers say personalised offers are important in their decision making
- 66% trust AI to handle simple shopping tasks like order tracking or product recommendations.
Ben Lewis, VP of marketing and growth at Infobip, comments: “A key learning from this year’s shopping season survey is that consumers globally are getting an early start on their holiday preparations – actively browsing, comparing options, and curating their wish lists well before November. The survey also highlights that shoppers increasingly want to control their brand interactions, choosing when and how they want to be contacted, and which channels they prefer.
For retailers, success during the crucial holiday shopping season hinges on deeply understanding consumer preferences, engaging customers at the right time, through their preferred channels, and delivering personalised, meaningful content.”
The winning formula for businesses looking to engage customers this shopping season is a combination of timing, channel and relevance. Key insights include:
- Early is the new on time – Globally, 47% of shoppers expect promotions to drop by late October or earlier, and 31% want them in early November.
- Personalisation is a must – 76% of shoppers value personalised offers, with irrelevant or over-targeted campaigns being seen as intrusive by 8%.
- Speed matters – Effective engagement must extend beyond purchase. 90% say order confirmations within minutes are essential during the holidays.
- AI is gaining trust – 66% of shoppers trust AI for simple tasks like order tracking or product recommendations. 16% trust AI suggestions as much as human ones.
- Omni-channel engagement is mandatory – Email remains a leading channel for holiday promotions, but WhatsApp, SMS, RCS and app notifications are catching up fast.
