What Adobe’s Holiday Shopping Data Means for Your Shipping

Now that peak season is behind us, there’s finally time to step back and look at how it actually went. 

Of course, you already know what the holidays looked like for your own business. But how do those experiences fit into the broader ecommerce logistics landscape? To shed some light, we’ve compiled statistics from Adobe’s 2025 Holiday Shopping Trends report. 

The report, based on data collected between November 1 and December 31, offers a useful snapshot of how consumers behaved this season, from when and how they shopped to the fulfillment options they relied on most.

Below, we break down some of the key findings from the report, explain what they mean for you, and highlight practical steps you can take now to strengthen your business before the next peak season arrives.

Cyber week held strong this year

During November and December, consumers spent $257.8 billion online. Cyber week (the five days from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday) typically sees the highest holiday spending—and that was no different this year.

The stats

• Cyber Week generated $44.2 billion in online sales.
• Cyber Monday was the highest-spending ecommerce day of the year, with $14.25 billion in online purchases, up 7.1% year over year.
• Black Friday grew even faster than Cyber Monday, reaching $11.8 billion in online spend and posting 9.1% growth.

What this means for your business

For most businesses, Cyber Week is the highest-volume stretch of the year, with little room for error. When traffic spikes and orders surge, small weaknesses in your site or fulfillment operation quickly become apparent. 

To prepare for that level of volume, focus on a few practical areas well before peak hits:

• Stress-test your website for high traffic, including checkout, payment processing, and order confirmation flows.
• Make sure inventory data stays accurate and updates in near real time so customers aren’t buying items you can’t ship.
• Review fulfillment capacity and carrier performance from last peak to confirm you can handle higher daily order volumes.
• Build clear holiday shipping deadlines and delivery expectations into your site so customers know what to expect.

Generative AI is changing the ecommerce landscape

Generative AI tools—which use natural language to answer questions and provide information almost instantly—have become a useful tool for consumers to discover and compare the latest products. 

Let’s take a look at what that means for your company.

The stats

• Traffic to retail websites coming from generative AI tools grew by 693.4% year over year, as shoppers increasingly used AI to research products and find deals.
• On Cyber Monday alone, referrals from generative AI services to U.S. retail sites increased by 670%.

What this means for your business

The first takeaway is straightforward: shoppers are actively using generative AI tools to discover products, compare options, and decide where to buy. 

That means your product information, pricing, availability, and delivery promises need to be clear and consistent wherever customers land. If AI-driven discovery sends a shopper to your site and the experience breaks down, you lose the opportunity to make a sale.

The second, broader takeaway is that generative AI isn’t just influencing how customers find you—it’s also becoming a practical tool for improving how your business operates behind the scenes. 

For example, in shipping and fulfillment, AI can help businesses:

• Analyze shipping performance across carriers, regions, and service levels to identify where delays or cost overruns are happening.
• Recommend the best shipping options for each order based on delivery speed, cost, and historical reliability.
• Flag potential delivery issues early, giving teams time to reroute shipments or proactively notify customers.

Beyond shipping, generative AI can also support other customer-facing areas, such as customer service and the post-purchase experience. For instance, you might use generative AI to handle common shipping and order status questions.

Returns happen most right after Christmas

Peak season brings higher order volume, but it also brings more returns. Read on to learn what the returns situation looked like in 2025, what you can expect next year, and how to prepare.

The stats

• Overall return volume declined this holiday season, down 1.2% compared to last year.
• However, the period immediately after Christmas, from December 26 through December 31, saw a 4.7% increase in returns.
• Roughly one in seven returns for the entire season happened during this short post-Christmas window.

What this means for your business

It might be tempting to relax once Christmas passes. But peak season isn’t over until all your returns are processed, inventory is reconciled, and customers feel their issues were handled smoothly.

To prepare for the post-holiday returns spike, put clear return processes in place before peak begins.

• Staff fulfillment and support teams through the end of December so return requests don’t pile up.
• Make return policies easy to find and understand.
• Streamline return label creation and approvals to shorten the time between request and shipment.
• Communicate return status clearly to customers, including refund timelines.

Curbside pickup is still a popular fulfillment option

Buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS) and curbside pickup became immensely popular during the COVID-19 pandemic. But do shoppers still use these options? Adobe’s data says yes.

The stats

• Curbside pickup was used in 17.1% of online orders this holiday season among retailers that offer the service.
• On December 23, curbside pickup accounted for 39.0% of online orders.

What this means for your business

For businesses with brick-and-mortar stores, curbside pickup plays an important role during time-sensitive shopping periods, especially when shipping cutoffs have passed. 

The surge right before major holidays shows that customers rely on this option when timing matters most.

When offering BOPIS or curbside pickup as part of an omnichannel fulfillment strategy, consider the following: 

• Offer clear visibility into which products are available for curbside pickup at each store location.
• Coordinate inventory across online and in-store systems to prevent overselling.
• Communicate pickup instructions clearly so customers can complete their orders quickly and without confusion.

Get the tailored insights you need to improve your shipping

Data is most valuable when it’s used, not just reviewed. In this article, we’ve shared a few ways to use 2025 holiday trends to improve your logistics and customer experience moving forward. By applying these insights now, while peak season is still fresh, you can make steady improvements that pay off long before the next rush begins.

But that’s just the beginning.

With AI tools like Luma by EasyPost, it’s easier than ever to understand your shipping all year round. Luma draws on billions of historical data points, including your own shipping data, to reveal opportunities to save money, deliver faster, and eliminate issues before they grow.  

By taking advantage of the data you already have, you’ll grow your business faster than ever in 2026 and beyond.