Festive Season 2024: Trends, Strategies & Success Tips for 2025

In this article, we shed light on why this season is so crucial for online retailers, what developments shaped it and how maxcluster contributed to its customers' success.

Black Friday began as an American phenomenon and has now established itself worldwide. For retailers, Black Friday is more than a simple discount event: it is a strategic opportunity to increase sales, win new customers through innovative e-commerce strategies and strengthen existing customer loyalty.

The importance of Black Friday

Record sales: Black Friday 2024 generated over 12 billion US dollars in sales worldwide, an increase of 8% compared to the previous year (Queue-it). However, such sales peaks pose challenges for retailers: Especially during peak times, a stable and high-performance infrastructure is crucial to ensure a smooth shopping experience. Retailers who are well-prepared here can exploit the full potential of such events.

Black Friday is not only an opportunity to acquire new customers - it also offers the chance to retain existing customers in the long term. Attractive discounts, combined with first-class service, strengthen customer loyalty and ensure that shoppers are happy to return. Studies such as the one conducted by NielsenIQ show that targeted promotions during discount periods increase the likelihood that customers will stay with a retailer in the long term (NielsenIQ).

Retailers who focus not only on prices, but also on quality and customer experience, are laying the foundations for sustainable success.

Technological innovation: Companies are using Black Friday to leverage new technologies such as AI-powered personalization, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). These innovations allow the shopping experience to be personalized and immersive - a key advantage during one of the most competitive periods of the year. Especially on Black Friday, when customers can choose between countless offers, the use of modern technologies helps retailers to stand out from the competition and achieve higher customer satisfaction. AI-based recommendations increase conversion rates, while AR and VR bring the product experience as close to reality as possible. Retailers who use these technologies strategically not only secure higher sales in the short term, but also long-term customer loyalty.

Global reach: Significant sales increases have been achieved not only in the US, but also in Germany, the UK and other international markets. According to Queue-Fair, 90% of major e-commerce retailers worldwide have planned special campaigns for this day.

E-commerce as a testing ground: Black Friday serves as a platform for many companies to test new marketing strategies, products and services before launching them permanently. This allows them to increase their competitiveness and adapt better to changing consumer needs.

Trends 2024: How Black Friday is changing

The 2024 Black Friday season was characterized by remarkable developments that will influence the future of e-commerce.

Extended discount phases: “Black November”

Many retailers have extended their discount campaigns to the whole of November, with the starting signal now often given on Singles' Day on November 11 rather than on Black Friday a few weeks later. This strategy makes it possible to better distribute peak loads and meet customer demand over several weeks. According to studies, 70% of Black Friday transactions took place before the actual date, which shows the shift in buying behavior towards earlier discount phases. (Queue-it).

Change in consumer behavior: Longer discount phases have permanently changed consumer behavior. Consumers compare prices more intensively and make purchasing decisions more consciously. Retailers are therefore faced with the challenge of maintaining discounts over a longer period of time without losing their appeal. At the same time, high-quality services and fast deliveries are becoming increasingly important to compete successfully.

Growth of international trade: Thanks to global shipping options and digital marketplaces, smaller suppliers are also benefiting from the longer Black Friday season. According to Tidio, 35% of consumers will consider shopping internationally if they find better deals.

Focus on sustainability

Sustainability is no longer just a trend, but remains a key factor in e-commerce 2025. “Green Friday” initiatives have shown that customers are increasingly looking for climate-neutral logistics, recyclable packaging and sustainable products - a must-have for any long-term e-commerce strategy.

Change in marketing strategies: Retailers are increasingly using sustainability as a selling point. From environmentally friendly packaging to charity campaigns where a portion of sales is donated to charitable organizations, brands are creating a positive image.

Customer loyalty through responsibility: Companies that implement sustainable practices build stronger relationships with their customers. This is particularly evident among Millennials and Gen Z, who value ethical aspects of shopping more than previous generations.

Sustainable packaging: Many retailers now offer reusable or recyclable packaging. This not only promotes an environmentally friendly image, but also reduces costs in the long term.

Mobile shopping is booming

The mobile shopping boom continued in 2024: 74% of all transactions were completed via mobile devices. For retailers, this means that fast loading times and a seamless user experience are essential - and both depend heavily on reliable e-commerce hosting. To remain competitive in 2025, the focus should be on progressive web apps (PWA) and optimized mobile shopping experiences. Younger target groups in particular prefer mobile shopping, which continues to gain in importance as the dominant channel. (Tidio)

New technologies for mobile experiences: Progressive Web Apps (PWA) and app-based offerings are gaining traction to ensure fast loading times and user-friendly interfaces.

Influencer marketing: Social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok play a crucial role in the marketing of offers. Influencer promotions encourage spontaneous purchases via mobile channels.

Push notifications: More and more retailers are turning to personalized push notifications to inform customers of exclusive offers in real time. This tactic leads to a higher engagement rate.

Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL)

Flexible payment options such as “Buy Now, Pay Later” enjoyed great popularity. Customers were able to make larger purchases without high upfront costs, which significantly increased basket values (Analyzify).

Expanding the target group: BNPL particularly appeals to young consumers who want to make large purchases without straining their budget. According to Queue-it, the majority of retailers plan to expand BNPL options in 2025.

Increased competition: More providers in the BNPL market mean that merchants need to offer more flexible and customer-friendly payment terms.

Omnichannel experiences

The seamless linking of online and offline channels was a key success factor in 2024. Customers expect consistent shopping experiences across all platforms.

Consistency is the key to success: Customers often choose click-and-collect options or use apps to prepare their purchases and pick them up in-store. This link increases customer satisfaction and leads to higher sales.

Event-based shopping: More and more brands are organizing pop-up stores or in-store events that are synchronized with online offers. This strategy increases customer loyalty and offers an unforgettable shopping experience.

Virtual queues

Virtual queues were used to avoid server congestion while increasing customer satisfaction. This solution proved particularly effective during peak loads.

Optimization through data analysis: Real-time data helped retailers to better manage traffic and make the best use of capacity. This technology is expected to be even more widespread in 2025.

Integration with other channels: Virtual queues are increasingly being combined with email and SMS notifications to keep customers informed about their place in the queue.

Personalization through AI

Artificial intelligence has enabled retailers to create (hyper)personalized offers and product recommendations. Companies that successfully used AI recorded higher conversion rates and increased customer loyalty.

Emotional engagement: AI is also used to send personalized messages that target the emotional connection between brand and customer. This increases the repurchase rate.

These comprehensive developments show how Black Friday 2024 has evolved into a complex, technologically sophisticated and customer-centric event. Companies that respond to these trends will be best equipped to take advantage of the challenges and opportunities of the coming years.

And even more trends for 2025

Sustainability as standard: Sustainability is becoming essential in e-commerce. Customers expect not only environmentally friendly products, but also transparent information about retailers' supply chains and production processes.

Personalization through AI: AI will continue to play a central role. From optimizing logistics to creating personalized shopping experiences, AI offers countless opportunities to delight customers. The integration of intelligent algorithms into the sales process will help to identify individual needs even more precisely.

Progress in AR and VR: Augmented reality and virtual reality are increasingly being integrated into the shopping experience, especially in the area of product visualization. Customers can use virtual fitting rooms or product presentations to make more informed purchasing decisions.

Black Month is setting a new trend: Discount periods are expected to extend even further. For retailers, this means adapting their infrastructure and marketing strategies. Continuous offers over several weeks will be necessary to meet customer demands and remain competitive.

Data protection in focus: With increasing personalization, data protection requirements are growing. Customers demand secure and transparent processes to protect their data. Retailers must implement data protection guidelines that comply with legal requirements and at the same time create trust.

maxcluster: Your strong partner for the festive season

As you've read, the festive season means high-performance sport for your online store and therefore also your servers - and that won't change in 2025. But with maxcluster at your side as your coach, you'll be well-prepared: We offer you high-performance hosting solutions, individual optimizations and flexible scalability to ensure your success in this crucial phase.

State-of-the-art infrastructure for maximum performance

In the past year, for example, we have invested heavily in our infrastructure to ensure stable and fast performance even during the highest traffic peaks. New hardware and optimized systems ensure that your store always runs smoothly - no matter how many customers rush to your offer.

Optimizations that strengthen your store

With our specially developed ShopPerformance tool, we continuously make semi-automated adjustments that are always individually tailored to your store. Important parameters such as OpCache hit rate and PHP worker are configured so that your store always remains stable and performant. By the way: These services are available to you free of charge all year round - whether it's high season or not.

Flexibility through scalability

Our hosting solutions adapt to your needs - not the other way around. Whether you have planned a campaign or have to cope with unexpected traffic peaks - with our vertical and horizontal scaling options, you only use the resources you actually need. This keeps you flexible and cost-efficient.

Always one step ahead

We know that the requirements in e-commerce are constantly changing. We are therefore continuously developing our services so that you and your store are not only optimally prepared for the festive season, but also for upcoming trends.

Your hosting roadmap for 2025

Of course, the festive season doesn't just start with Black Week, but weeks before. So start planning early and rely on flexible solutions to secure decisive advantages.

• Early planning: Secure a robust infrastructure and optimized applications in good time to ensure top performance even under peak loads.
• Scalable resources: Flexibly adjust your hosting capacity and use it efficiently for planned campaigns or spontaneous traffic surges.
• Proactive support: Our experienced team is at your side all year round to help you continuously optimize your store and keep it stable.

Still undecided? Then book a free consultation at maxcluster.de/schedule-meeting and get your Festive Season 2025 off to the best possible start.

Conclusion

The challenges of Festive Season 2024 have shown how important a stable infrastructure, targeted optimization and early planning are in e-commerce. Retailers who act proactively can increase their performance, maximize sales and grow sustainably.

With sustainability, AI-supported personalization and the linking of online and offline channels as key factors, 2025 offers new opportunities to stand out from the competition. Those who focus on these developments early on will not only successfully master the next festive season, but also create the basis for sustainable growth.

Published on 16.01.2025 | Festive Season 2024: Trends, Strategies & Success Tips for 2025 | KS