This year’s shoppers showed up early, compared everything, and bought on their terms. Drawing on organic data from +$1T in annual consumer spend and a rigorously verified panel of 5,877 retailers—within the thousands of retailers and brands that partner with Criteo globally—early trends point to a more informed and selective shopper shaping this year’s holiday and festive season.
For advertisers, this means reaching shoppers who plan ahead yet still act quickly when the right offer appears. Early results from the five-day period between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday provide a first look at how these behaviors played out across regions and verticals.
Where Cyber 5 grew around the world
Shopper spend rose +9% globally year over year, signaling strong engagement throughout the Cyber 5 period even as purchasing behaviors varied by region:
Europe led global growth with +25% traffic and +18% purchases. Germany delivered some of the strongest lifts of the period with +25% traffic and +17% purchases. France also rose +23% in traffic and +14% in purchases.
Emerging Markets* followed with +14% traffic and +11% purchases, reflecting continued momentum in digital retail adoption.
APAC recorded +12% traffic and purchases, driven by country-level difference: South Korea surged (+20% traffic, +15% purchases), while Japan saw modest traffic growth (+3%) but solid conversion gains (+7%).
LATAM saw +13% traffic but more modest purchase growth (+5%), indicating shoppers were highly engaged but still comparing prices.
North America experienced +14% traffic but more selective buying, with purchases rising +3%. The U.S. mirrored this pattern, with many shoppers still waiting for additional promotions.
*Criteo retailer data from Emerging Markets includes Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey.
The categories that captured shoppers’ attention
Sports & Outdoor delivered the strongest lift of any major vertical globally, with +34% traffic and +15% spend year over year.
Lifestyle & Wellbeing followed with traffic up +26% and strong growth in transactions and spend.
Flowers, Gifts & Greeting rose +29% in traffic and 25% in transactions, reflecting early holiday gifting activity.
Home & Garden continued its steady post-pandemic climb, with +23% traffic and +17% spend.
Cyber 5 staples also held their ground: CE & Technology grew +11% in traffic, +13% in transactions, and +16% in shopper spend year over year while CPG saw +13% traffic, +11% transactions, and +9% spend.
The products that defined Black Friday 2025
These products saw significant uplift during Black Friday compared to the baseline average of October 1-28, with levels exceeding those in 2024 when measured against the same baseline. This year’s biggest winners reflect how shoppers globally plan to spend the season:
Relaxing at home: Streaming & home media players (+188%) and televisions (+361%) topped the global list, while comfort items like robes (+147%) also saw major lifts year.
At-home entertaining: Products tied to hosting at home like spice grinders (+140%) and wine fridges (+203%) posted standout growth.
Stocking up on gifts early: Toy kitchens & play food (+152%), remote control cars & trucks (+144%), puzzles (+102%), portable electronic games (+181%), and dollhouse accessories (+152%) all soared.
A longer path to purchase… except when it isn’t
US shoppers stretched their consideration windows, taking more time to decide on their purchases this year. The average path from first product page view to conversion reached 17 days, up from 14 days last year looking at the same subset of retailers and brands in 2024 and 2025.
But the bigger shift is the widening gap in behavior. Slower shoppers took an average of 57 days to finally hit “buy”, while the fastest shoppers converted in just nine minutes.
Cyber 5 now spans two very different behaviors at once: the hyper-planner who moves carefully and the rapid-fire buyer who knows exactly what they want. Advertisers need to support both by nurturing long consideration cycles while staying ready to capture instant decisions.
The moves that matter this December
Cyber 5 may be over, but the shoppers it activated are still very much in motion. With longer consideration cycles and elevated traffic across regions, the next few weeks remain a major window for conversions.
- Lean into retargeting and reminders. Many shoppers who browsed during Cyber 5 haven’t made their final decision. Stay present as they revisit products and compare options.
- Plan for broader demand across categories. Lifestyle, sports, gifting, and home all showed strong momentum and shoppers will continue to browse through December. Make sure your creative and product mix reflects this range.
- Watch the regions that lit up early. Europe, LATAM, and Emerging Markets enter December with strong momentum while North America and APAC are primed for value-driven purchasing as shoppers finalize their choices.
