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After its US launch in September, TikTok Shop faces its first holiday season, heating up competition in the social commerce space.

And consumers will also be put to the test as they face paying off debts from holiday shopping鈥攚hich was only partially captured in the latest Fed data. 36% of US consumers took on holiday debt, per Lending Tree. Average holiday debt hit $1,181, up from $1,028 in 2023.

TikTok Shop is also set to play a bigger role in holiday sales this year: 31% of users have already bought a gift from the marketplace or plan to, per CivicScience. That proportion is higher for Gen Z users: 51% plan to get some holiday shopping done on the platform.

TikTok is restructuring its governance and experience team: The move affects marketplace safety within TikTok Shop and may be a response to the platform鈥檚 underperformance last year.

Yeah, there's some Placer data that also shows this, dwell time was up in malls over the holiday season. That's not really surprising, but it was up to about 78 minutes per visit in indoor malls. Higher dwell times to me, I think means that people might be spending more time not just in those anchor stores, but also in other places in the mall, just like you were talking about.

But that late surge wasn鈥檛 enough to overcome a sluggish start to the holiday season. Q4 sales rose just 0.4% YoY and full-year sales increased 0.7% YoY in 2024. 鈥淔ollowing a challenging year marked by weak consumer confidence and difficult economic conditions, the crucial 鈥榞olden quarter鈥� failed to give 2024 the send-off retailers were hoping for,鈥� said Helen Dickinson, British Retail Consortium CEO.

The holiday season reigns supreme. Consumers spent a record-breaking $314.9 billion online globally between November 26 and December 2, according to Salesforce. Despite booming online sales, visits to stores and retail centers from November 24 to December 1 fell 2.3% YoY per Sensormatic Solutions.

The news: Fresh off a holiday season featuring (mostly) hitch-free Christmas Day NFL games and a record-breaking 鈥淪quid Game鈥� second season debut, Netlix is gearing up for the WWE season, which will define much of its efforts throughout 2025. 鈥淪quid Game鈥� season 2 drew 68 million views in the first four days of release, Netflix said, breaking a viewership record set by 鈥淲ednesday鈥� in 2022.

Amazon鈥檚 earnings follow a familiar pattern: The retailer expects solid sales growth as investments in convenience resonate with shoppers, but profits will be pressured as tariffs take their toll.

As retailers pull the holiday season earlier and earlier, carriers are keeping pace by advancing peak-season surcharges. When peak-season surcharges were first introduced widely in 2017, they spanned 34 days; this year they will cover about 111 days.

JD.com鈥檚 retail sales rose 14.7% in Q4: That鈥檚 an encouraging sign for China鈥檚 retailers as they eagerly await a consumption recovery.

Smaller sales can produce big results: Once again, Amazon is using category-specific sales events to drive increasingly cautious consumers to spend.

Competing with the couch: While audiences have shown a desire to return to theaters throughout the year, Netflix will compete with theaters for attention this holiday season. Netflix is releasing the second season of South Korean hit 鈥淪quid Game,鈥� the most viewed show in the streaming service鈥檚 history, on December 26.

Luxury brands rethink China approach as downturn drags on: Labels like Versace, Valentino, and Balenciaga are dialing back discounts, telegraphing exclusivity to wealthy shoppers.

Total returns for the holiday season are expected to rise to $133 billion. An expensive problem: Returns cost retailers $890 billion in 2024, according to a report by the National Retail Federation and Happy Returns.

CEO Adam Foroughi highlighted how early success in holiday shopping ads validated the platform鈥檚 ability to drive non-gaming conversions. While the company has yet to break out specific revenue figures for ecommerce, Foroughi noted that demand is outpacing onboarding capacity, prompting the development of self-service tools to scale advertiser adoption.

Alibaba鈥檚 domestic ecommerce growth signals promise for China鈥檚 retail landscape: However, price-conscious consumers and a trade war could derail recovery.

Banks have an opportunity to build trust by recommending relevant products and engaging on social media.

China鈥檚 retail sector will grow from government stimulus, retail鈥檚 genAI revolution will have a far-reaching impact, India鈥檚 quick commerce will heat up, China鈥檚 retailers will face pushback in the region, and Xiaohongshu will further establish itself.

The theatrical atmosphere, particularly during holiday seasons, maintains its unique appeal despite streaming's convenience and cost advantages. But with streaming TV ad revenues forecasted to grow 19.3% in 2025 according to a new GroupM report, the pressure on theaters to innovate will intensify.