PMG Digital Made for Humans

November W1 2025 Report: Measured Momentum Defines the Early Holiday Period

November 10, 2025 | 3 min read

WHAT'S TRENDING

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PMG

PMG is a global independent marketing services and technology company that seeks to inspire people and brands that anything is possible. Driven by shared success, PMG brings together business strategy and transformation, creative, media, and insights, all powered by our proprietary marketing operating system, Alli. With offices in New York, London, Dallas & Fort Worth, Austin, Atlanta, Boston, Brighton, Costa Rica, and Cleveland, our team is made up of 1,000 employees globally, and our work for brands like Apple, CKE Restaurants, Dropbox, Experian, Intuit, Kimberly-Clark, Kohler, Sephora, Travelex, and Whole Foods has received top industry recognitions including Cannes Lions and Adweek Media Plan of the Year.

As the 2025 holiday season gets underway, measured momentum is defining the early weeks of the peak retail season. PMG’s latest Insights, Unwrapped report, Measured Momentum Defines the Early Holiday Period, captures how consumers are shopping earlier yet spending more deliberately, revealing a season shaped by confidence, caution, and value-driven decision-making.

Each week throughout the holiday season, PMG’s strategy and intelligence teams deliver these insights to our partners, translating live data into actionable guidance across media, commerce, and creative. Now, for the first time, these weekly briefings are being made publicly available through Insights, Unwrapped, offering marketers a window into how PMG provides clarity for the critical quarter, helping ambitious brands move with agility this season.

  • A Steady Start to the Peak Season: Discover how brands are pacing promotions more strategically this year. Early Black Friday campaigns are rolling out selectively, with most retailers reserving deeper discounts for mid-November to protect margins and sustain engagement.

  • How Consumers Are Spending—and Why: See why shoppers are emphasizing practicality and purpose. Right now, foot traffic by Placer.ai is strongest across apparel, discount, and dollar stores, while big-ticket categories lag, signaling a pragmatic mindset driven by value and utility.

  • Media Mix Discipline Across Channels: Explore how advertisers are leaning into premium video and creator-led social to build awareness while optimizing efficiency through search, affiliate, and commerce channels. Meta traffic is up +10.5% YoY, and conversion rates have climbed +22.8%, reflecting rising consumer intent.

  • Amazon Commerce Reflects Market-Wide Trends: Examine how Amazon’s sales growth, though positive, trails last year’s lead-in period. Shallower discounts and fewer promotions reflect a broader retail trend toward sustainable profitability over volume-driven spikes.

In a season where consumers are both cautious and committed, PMG’s insights show that steady, disciplined strategies—grounded in value, storytelling, and full-funnel integration—are driving early success. 

Download the full November W1 readout to learn more.