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On today's podcast episode, we discuss how folks viewed big ticket items over the Thanksgiving holiday shopping period, how in-store foot traffic shook out, and the impact of buy now, pay later (BNPL). Listen to the conversation with our Senior Analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts Senior Analyst Zak Stambor and Analyst Rachel Wolff.

Holiday shopping behaviors鈥攅arly browsing, deal hunting, and post-season sales鈥攁re mirroring patterns seen during Prime Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. Our take: The rising viewer demand for personalized, deal-driven, and shoppable ads means marketers should treat CTVs as performance media.

Meanwhile, Peacock鈥檚 exclusive week 1 Brazil game broadcast was 116% more effective for companies than average TV ads, while Amazon Prime Video鈥檚 Black Friday matchup stream was 51% more effective than the average Thanksgiving NFL game ad.

That made it the single-largest ecommerce shopping day so far this year鈥攁nd put the four-day event on track to reach $23.8 billion in online sales, the equivalent of two Black Fridays-worth of spending. Behind the numbers: Conditions are ripe for a strong Prime Day showing鈥攁nd not just because the event is twice as long as last year. Tariff concerns are influencing shopper behavior.

Consumers spent a record-breaking $314.9 billion online globally during this year鈥檚 Cyber Five, according to Salesforce. But there鈥檚 lots more to learn beyond top-line sales numbers鈥攆rom Target's Taylor Swift-fueled Black Friday surge to Gen Z's big spending habits. Here are five key stats on Cyber Five performance you may have missed and what they mean for the rest of the holiday season.

TikTok Shop drove $100 million in Black Friday sales: Efforts to introduce social commerce to users are working, but the ban looms large.

And in 2024, a late Thanksgiving date fueled a flurry of promotions in the run-up to the holiday鈥攍ed by Amazon鈥檚 鈥淭urkey 12鈥� discounts a week before Black Friday. In 2025, Cyber Five sales growth will be fueled by Black Friday. Ecommerce sales will rise by 5.2% on the day after Thanksgiving, which is traditionally a big day for in-store retail. The other days will underperform the five-day average.

Steep discounts drove shoppers to splurge on Black Friday: Consumers scooped up bargains across several categories, helping online sales jump 14.6% YoY the day after Thanksgiving.

Ads on Prime Video鈥檚 Black Friday matchup game were 51% more effective than the average Thanksgiving NFL ad, per EDO. Sports ads overall show massive potential: Women鈥檚 sports ads, like those available through Amazon鈥檚 WNBA ad inventory, drive 40% more engagement than the average primetime TV ad.

In November, retailers made strategic moves across grocery, apparel, and beauty. Amazon turned Black Friday into a weeklong event and launched its Shein competitor, Haul. Meanwhile, e.l.f. Beauty strengthened its value proposition through a new Dollar General partnership, while Kroger announced plans for specialized Asian experience stores in North Texas. Here are our eight unofficial picks for the most interesting retailers in November.

Trader Joe鈥檚 mini tote bags triggered what The New York Times described as a 鈥淏lack Friday-like frenzy.鈥� Shoppers lined up鈥攏ot for concert merch or game consoles鈥攂ut for tiny tote bags bearing the grocer鈥檚 logo.

Those results beat Adobe鈥檚 projected 28.4% growth and more than doubled the $11.45 billion that US consumers spent online during Black Friday last year, according to our forecast. Amazon, which is typically opaque in its sales recaps, reported that this year鈥檚 Prime Day was its biggest ever, surpassing any previous four-day period that included a Prime Day event, with record sales and more items sold.

This has prompted competitors to create their own summer sales events, with Macy's running "Black Friday in July" and "Christmas in July" promotions. What it means for retailers. The evolving holiday calendar creates both opportunities and challenges for retailers competing for consumer dollars throughout the year.

UK retail footfall declined in November as shoppers waited for Black Friday deals: Poor weather and subdued confidence also weighed on traffic, souring retailers鈥� holiday prospects.

Amazon鈥檚 upcoming NBA package on Prime Video will feature marquee moments like a Black Friday game and offer custom branding tools, positioning the streaming giant as a key facilitator of premium ad experiences. This complements the NBA鈥檚 new $76 billion media rights agreement with ESPN, NBCUniversal, and Amazon, which kicks off next season.

Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day are also gaining traction. Nearly 2 in 3 consumers in South Korea combine online and offline shopping during holidays. Korea鈥檚 Sale Festa, its version of Black Friday, is the country鈥檚 largest shopping event.

For Walmart, Black Friday officially starts on November 11: The retailer will offer savings throughout the month, with exclusive deals and early sales access for online shoppers and Walmart+ members.

Target scores a major get for Black Friday: The retailer will be the exclusive merchant selling a 鈥淭aylor Swift | The Eras Tour Book鈥� and 鈥淭he Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology.鈥�

Fewer US consumers shopped on Black Friday this year, despite record spending, per PYMNTS鈥攊ndicating higher spending per shopper. Big-ticket spending also saw an uptick, likely fueled by some shoppers splurging ahead of potential tariffs. Commercial banking shifts ahead: Corporations in the US and abroad are trying to plan around the uncertainty.