If you’re a retailer—in-store or online—are you preparing for the surge of shoppers headed your way? If you’re concerned about consumers not shopping in this increasingly shaky economy, remember this: people plan to spend more this holiday season.
So, you need to get ready—now! As new data from Klaviyo, a B2C CRM, shows, almost half of consumers plan to start their holiday shopping before Thanksgiving, engaging in what Klaviyo calls a “more intentional AI-powered shopping season.”
In fact, Klaviyo says this year will be the “first truly AI-fueled holiday shopping season.” This will impact your marketing plans, especially for the Black Friday-Cyber Monday (BFCM) weekend.
The Browsing Boom
Klaviyo also identifies a new shopping trend consumers are embracing—browsing before buying.
- The browsing boom: Product views are up 37% year-over-year, while orders rose 14%, showing shoppers are taking more time to explore and evaluate before purchasing.
- Loyalty drives nearly half of BFCM growth: Repeat buyers are expected to fuel a 14% revenue lift, 58% higher than new-customer growth, making retention the real growth engine this season.
- The shopping window stretches: Instead of one chaotic day, spending now unfolds across 16 days, beginning roughly 10 days before Black Friday.
Since the “intense” shopping period is spread over a longer period, Klaviyo says consumers have adopted a “browse-first, buy-later” shopping pattern, “marking a major shift in behavior. Shoppers aren’t hoarding deals in one big burst; they’re cherry-picking offers across days, devices, and channels, spreading purchases out instead of rushing to make them all at once.”
This new shopping pattern does not mean time sensitivity is a thing of the past. Your business still needs to “show up consistently—in inboxes, text messages, and social feeds—before, during, and after BFCM shopping weekend.
AI Fuels the Shopping Experience
Klaviyo data shows that consumers consider AI their new shopping assistant: 56% say they’ll use AI tools during BFCM—from comparing deals to planning purchases—marking a major shift in how people research and decide what to buy. And over half actually prefer AI over humans for certain types of customer support.
This has led to a rise in agentic shopping, where consumers are increasingly using AI tools (like ChatGPT) to research, recommend, and complete purchases. Klaviyo says this means browsing is “no longer confined to brand websites. It’s happening in conversations, in chat interfaces, and across an expanding ecosystem of intelligent assistants.” Essentially, AI is redistributing the buyer journey.
AI Reshapes Holiday Shopping
This new reliance on AI is underscored by PayPal’s 2025 Shopping Survey, reinforcing the importance of AI in consumer shopping decisions.
- 40% of consumers—led by 61% of Gen Z and 57% of millennials—have used AI to assist with a purchase in the past year, and 20% do so regularly.
- 77% of past or potential AI shoppers plan to use it as a shopping assistant this holiday season, underscoring the need for small businesses to appear where consumers are searching.
- The top ways consumers will use AI: find the best deals (34%), compare products (30%), and discover gift ideas or recommendations (26%).
Staying Visible
As we participate in the first AI-powered shopping season, Andrew Bialecki, co-founder and CEO of Klaviyo says, “Consumers aren’t acting on impulse anymore—they’re acting on information.
This makes it essential that your small business stand out—and remain visible in this new holiday shopping landscape. Klaviyo advises businesses that they “must deliver personalization that feels as natural and immediate as the experiences powered by AI itself. Since early 2025, 14% more brands have added product recommendations to their automated flows, and emails containing recommendations are up 19%. Clearly, marketers are already racing to keep pace with the expectation of hyper-relevance.”
Stretching Out Payments
Another newer shopping behavior, according to Michelle Gill, General Manager of Small Business and Financial Services at PayPal, is that they’re choosing flexible payment options, such as Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL).
Once considered an “alternative payment method,” BNPL is now a “mainstream expectation at checkout.” PayPal explains it helps consumers manage their cash flow—and helps businesses increase their average order value. PayPal’s survey shows:
- Half of consumers plan to use BNPL as a flexible payment option for holiday shopping this year, citing affordability and budget control as the top reasons.
- 52% of shoppers say they’re more likely to make a purchase when BNPL is available as a payment option.
- Gen Z and millennials lead BNPL adoption—25% use it regularly, making it a core part of how younger generations prefer to pay.
Gill advises businesses that they can “enhance the shopper experience and boost sales by making flexible payment options like BNPL visible throughout the shopping journey. When shoppers know they can pay overtime, they’re more likely to complete their purchase. PayPal data shows offering BNPL leads to a 62% higher order value for small businesses, meaning it isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a proven advantage to win.”
Consumers Want Seamless Shopping Experiences
PayPal adds that 2025 marks the “true return of omnichannel retail. Consumers expect seamless experiences.”
- In-store shopping is resurging: 64% of shoppers plan to shop in-store this holiday season, and 41% planning to shop both online and in-store.
- Online shopping still matters: 28% plan to shop primarily online.
- Rewards drive decisions: 74% of shoppers are more likely to buy from businesses offering cash back, loyalty programs, or perks.
The reports from both Klaviyo and PayPal show that consumers are readily adapting their holiday shopping behaviors, and small business owners must change their patterns and meet them where they are.
Rieva Lesonsky is President of Small Business Currents, LLC, a content company focusing on small businesses and entrepreneurship. You can find her on Twitter @Rieva, Bluesky @Rieva.bsky.social, and LinkedIn. Or email her at Rieva@SmallBusinessCurrents.com.
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