Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025 delivered big numbers, but not in the way many brands expected.

In Black Friday & Cyber Monday 2025 Results: Shopper Trends & AI’s Impact, host Maarja Hewitt is joined by Ad Advance VP of Operations, Erik Swenson, to break down how the holiday shopping season really played out. They look at traffic, conversion, and sales trends, why the events felt softer even as total volume grew, and how an elongated deal season changed shopper behavior.

They also dig into the growing role of AI in holiday shopping, from Amazon’s Rufus price tracking and deal guidance to third party AI shopping assistants that help consumers compare products and marketplaces in seconds.

Key takeaways:

Traffic was up, but conversions spread across more days instead of spiking on two events
Early deal cycles and “holiday all season” messaging softened the traditional Black Friday and Cyber Monday peaks
AI made shoppers more price aware, more informed, and more comparison driven
Brands that ramped budgets early, refreshed creatives, and coordinated off Amazon channels saw stronger results
2026 will reward earlier planning, stronger first party audiences, and clear value messaging

A focused, practical breakdown for ecommerce and retail media teams planning their next Q4.

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