Holiday Season 2025

Earlier momentum and strategic shifts

The 2025 holiday season didn’t just deliver sales; it revealed a fundamental change in consumer timing and priorities. Total revenue for Tech & Durables reached €27.36 billion in core markets EU and Brazil, a modest +0.4% year-over-year, but the real insight lies in when shoppers spent. The buying wave started earlier than ever, with strong activity already in mid-November, well before the traditional Black Friday and Cyber Monday peaks.

Black Friday week dominated with a 225% uplift versus an average week in 2025, followed closely by Cyber Monday week. Yet, the early surge means retailers who waited for late November missed critical opportunities. “For retailers, understanding the dynamics within this period is crucial – those who act too late miss out on revenue potential,” emphasizes Jan Lorbach, Senior Director Global Strategic Insights at NielsenIQ.

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Product trends tell another story: lifestyle-driven categories soared. AR/VR glasses revenue for example, jumped by 273% versus an average week*, while essential items like washing machines saw far smaller gains. This highlights the importance of aspirational purchases during promotional windows, rather than purely functional replacements.

For manufacturers and retailers, the implications are clear: success now depends on early engagement and strategic assortment planning. Promotions should focus on high-desire categories and premium products, while pricing agility ensures competitiveness throughout the extended season. The holiday period is not a short sprint, it’s a marathon that starts weeks earlier, and those who adapt will lead.

*Average Week is the equivalent of the sum of all weeks in 2025 dived by 52

Source: NIQ Sales Tracking, Countries: Germany, Great Britain, Italy, France, Spain, Netherlands, Turkey, Czech Republic Hungary and Brazil; B2C Retailer; All Tech and Durables.

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Based on a partnership between NIQ/GfK, gfu and IFA Management, we regularly inform you about market developments and trends from the home & consumer tech sectors. You will receive interesting insights, current market figures, consumer trends and much more professionally prepared from the sources of the three competent partners.