holiday 2025

As the holiday season kicks into gear, mid-sized DTC brands on Shopify are searching for that elusive double win: boosting average order value (AOV) while trimming excess inventory before year-end. Enter product bundling—a strategy experiencing a major resurgence as brands seek to offset deeper discounts and extract more value per shopper. Adobe Analytics reported Cyber Monday furniture discounts at 21% off compared to 8% last year, exemplifying the intensifying margin pressure (Modern Retail).

The holiday season is a high-stakes game for DTC brands, and this year, AI is the secret weapon in their arsenal. From crafting compelling ad creatives to managing customer support, generative AI tools are reshaping how brands approach Q4. With 73% of U.S. marketers already leveraging these technologies, we're seeing a shift toward more automated strategies. But don't just take my word for it—Ranjan Roy of Adore Me pinpoints AI as the "topic of the moment" across teams, highlighting the widespr

This holiday season, DTC operators are bracing for a perfect storm: record-breaking order volumes and intense scrutiny on packaging. U.S. carriers are projected to handle 2.3 billion packages during Holiday 2025, marking a 5% hike from last year’s peak (Reuters). That’s a tidal wave of boxes and bubble wrap, most of which will end up in landfills. This isn’t just a U.S. issue. In Europe, packaging waste has surged by 20% in the past decade, with the average consumer generating nearly 190 kg of