Every year, marketers analyze performance data from the holiday shopping season to understand how consumers shop and where marketing strategies are working. While top-line growth always draws attention, the most important data often comes from how purchases are made rather than how much is spent – which exceeds last year’s pessimistic forecasts.
Despite ongoing concerns about inflation, prices and broader economic uncertainty, consumer demand remains strong. Retail sales from Thanksgiving to Cyber ββMonday rose 4.1% year-over-year, while online sales grew 10.4% compared to last year, according to Mastercard data.
These results reinforce a general pattern: external pressure did not significantly slow down consumer spending. What has changed is how consumers move from interest to purchase. Holiday data ensures that purchases move to the top of the funnel, with acquisition, consideration and conversion compressed to one second. That shift is reshaping the way brands should think about spend, effort and efficiency heading into 2026.
Purchases are at the top of the funnel
In years past, most of the holiday income was driven by funnel activity. Brands rely heavily on retargeting, follow-up emails and repeated exposure to convert consumers who have been researching products for weeks.
This year, a large share of purchases took place through several touch points. Across thousands of our ecommerce clients, conversions are increasingly happening at or near exposure, without consumers needing to do the kind of research that drives decision making.
Facebook and Instagram have seen strong growth in customer investment relative to other channels, largely because acquisitions and conversions occur in the same environment. Improved targeting reaches high-intent shoppers earlier, and standard payment options reduce friction, enabling faster purchases.
Meanwhile, ecommerce platforms have reinforced this behavior. The common exit experience has reduced the skepticism that once plagued early stage conversions. Consumers no longer have to build trust over time before completing a purchase when the shopping experience feels familiar and has little friction.
Dive deep: How AI agents created a record-breaking 2025 holiday season
Your app for Q1 2026
Historically, marketers have been hesitant to move up the funnel due to inefficiencies. Capturing the top buyers requires more advertising dollars, which reduces the return on ad spend.
Today, advanced targeting and near-universal payment experiences have created an environment where the top funnel is a profitable place. Here’s how marketers can start adapting in early 2026.
Step 1: Verify mobile readiness
You already understand the importance of mobile first strategies. It is important to track the percentage of purchases on mobile devices. This metric is an important indicator of ecommerce success and will inform many decisions about how you sell online.
Step 2: Ignore the technology of the table
Review website basics. Make sure your ecommerce platform includes the features customers expect. BNPL options such as Klarna or Affirm, digital wallet integrations such as Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal, and review integrations such as Shopper Approved are no longer optional. They are the basic requirements for running an ecommerce business.
Dive deep: New in time for the holidays, Mailchimp is rolling out new ecommerce features
Step 3: Start up the funnel
Once your website is set up, start growing the funnel. Top-of-funnel advertising on platforms like Meta is highly visible, making a high-quality image essential for all marketing content.
For teams without dedicated designers, tools like Google’s Imagen can help create brand art more effectively. Marketers can then use Meta’s advanced targeting capabilities to target a wider audience that has yet to interact with the brand.
Step 4: Invest in email marketing
Do not leave confirmed channels. Email continues to deliver strong performance. Our clients saw a 30% to 40% year-over-year increase in revenue from emails during the holiday season last year. Brands that ignore this channel risk losing sales to competitors that prioritize it.
Step 5: Monitor the AI, but don’t leave the basics
AI continues to garner attention, but its impact on ecommerce traffic remains limited. During the 2025 holiday season, AI-driven traffic accounted for just 0.28% of customer website traffic and contributed less revenue.
The most valuable opportunities reside in proven, proven channels. That will emerge over time, but strong SEO fundamentals, active paid media and improved user experience continue to drive growth. Marketers should experiment with emerging AI features, such as Shopify’s ChatGPT integration, while watching for competitive adoption without abandoning the most effective strategies.
The opportunity ahead
The progressive breakdown of the traditional sales funnel represents a fundamental shift in consumer behavior. It also creates one of the clearest growth opportunities marketers have seen in years. When acquisition and transformation happen simultaneously, brands that emerge early, clearly and without conflict are placed in a winning position.
Holiday data ensures that consumers make decisions in moments, not weeks. As marketers plan for 2026, the priority should be to build experiences that build trust quickly and simplify action, emphasizing mobile functionality, ease of checkout and strong creativity.
The shopping method has not disappeared. It’s abbreviated. Brands that adapt early will be in the best position to capture demand and drive sustainable growth.
Dig deeper: Shopify wants to include commerce in every AI conversation
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