AI Agents Drove the 2025 Holiday Season to Record Sales
▼ Summary
– The 2025 holiday season saw record global online sales of $1.29 trillion, driven by a 7% increase and a major shift toward AI-driven agentic shopping.
– AI agents fundamentally influenced commerce, directly affecting 20% of global retail sales and driving significantly higher growth for brands that deployed their own.
– Mobile devices became the default shopping platform, generating 78% of global online traffic and 70% of orders during Cyber Week.
– Consumers spent more selectively in a high-cost economy, with average selling prices rising 7% globally and return rates increasing to 14% of all purchases.
– For future planning, marketing leaders are advised to deploy proprietary AI agents, automate post-purchase service, and optimize for seamless mobile and BOPIS experiences.
The 2025 holiday shopping season shattered previous records, achieving a staggering $1.29 trillion in global sales. This unprecedented growth was fueled by a fundamental shift in consumer behavior, with AI-driven agentic shopping emerging as the dominant force. Global online sales climbed 7%, reaching $294 billion in the U.S. alone. A key differentiator was the performance of brands that invested in proprietary AI technology, which experienced dramatically higher growth rates compared to those that did not, proving that intelligent automation is now central to commercial success.
This season’s data confirms that AI agents have evolved from simple chat tools into fundamental revenue drivers. They influenced an impressive 20% of all global retail sales. Traffic originating from AI-powered search platforms like ChatGPT demonstrated exceptionally high purchase intent, converting at a rate nine times higher than social media referrals. Companies that deployed their own branded agents, such as Pandora and SharkNinja, saw a 59% higher growth rate than competitors without this capability. These systems are active participants in commerce, managing complex tasks autonomously. During the peak holiday period, there was a 66% surge in service conversations powered by agentic AI, and these tools handled a 142% increase in operational actions like initiating returns and updating orders.
Alongside AI, mobile devices solidified their role as the primary shopping platform. During Cyber Week, a remarkable 78% of global online traffic and 70% of all orders came from mobile phones. This trend held strong through Black Friday, with nearly 70% of global orders placed via mobile. The shift is clear: in 2025, mobile accounted for 74% of orders, a significant jump from 62% the previous year. Consumers are using their phones for extensive research, with 71% of all browsing traffic coming from mobile devices. Payment preferences on mobile are also evolving, with increased adoption of mobile wallets like Apple Pay, highlighting a consumer demand for faster, more streamlined checkout processes.
The season also highlighted a high-cost, high-return economic environment. Consumers spent more but did so more selectively, with time spent on e-commerce sites in the U.S. increasing by 35% as shoppers researched diligently. The global average selling price rose 7%, which drove much of the revenue growth, as order volumes saw only modest increases. This indicates that inflation continued to impact purchasing decisions. A critical trend for retailers is the parallel rise in returns, which reached $181 billion, or 14% of all purchases. This represents a 10% increase from 2024, placing considerable pressure on reverse logistics and profitability.
For marketing leaders planning ahead, the insights point to three essential actions. First, deploy owned agentic AI. Relying solely on third-party AI search is insufficient; integrating proprietary AI agents directly into digital storefronts is crucial for capturing high-intent shoppers. Retailers with branded agents saw sales grow 32% faster. Second, automate the post-purchase loop. With returns and service requests climbing, AI agents should handle high-volume, low-complexity tasks like return initiations. This protects margins and allows human agents to focus on complex issues affecting customer loyalty. Third, optimize relentlessly for mobile discovery and BOPIS. Ensuring a flawless mobile experience is non-negotiable, especially for last-minute shoppers using “buy online, pick up in store” options. BOPIS orders peaked on December 22nd, when 35% of all online orders were for in-store pickup.
The 2025 holiday season marks a definitive transition from experimental AI to operational advantage. The growth was not merely about volume but about how technology strategically enabled it. AI agents and mobile commerce dominated every phase of the retail journey, from discovery to service. Retailers who embedded these agentic capabilities into their core operations significantly outperformed their peers, making it clear that such technology is now a competitive necessity for sustainable growth.
(Source: MarTech)
