No surveys. No biases. Only truth from billions of transactions. Actionable Insights with Retail Media.
The shopping pattern in December 2025 is clear: demand didn’t slow, it spiked. The month is defined by short, purpose-led trips and two intense shopping waves: the Christmas run-up and the year-end stock-up. Nearly 1 in 10 of the month’s value happens in just two days (Dec 23–24), followed by another major surge in the last three days of the year (Dec 29–31). Christmas Day is effectively “off” for shopping.
Shoppers don’t browse in December. They execute. Almost half of value is driven by last-minute missions (Immediate / Urgency + Fill-in = 48.22%), while holiday intent is massive (Special Occasion + Gift Shopping + Stock-up = 40.77%). Spending is also tightly time-boxed: 71.63% of value lands between 12:00–20:00, with 16:00–20:00 alone delivering 37.24%. And it’s a weekday month: Tuesday + Wednesday account for 37.05% of the month’s value.
Category choice follows the moment: celebratory drinks and snacks, bakery, fresh produce, and pork lead the basket—classic “host, share, and stock” behavior under time and budget pressure.
Based on 100% real transactions, in-store and online. No panels. No projections. Just reality.
* Over 125 million anonymised retail transactions analysed. Based on actual behavioural and sales data, both in-store and online.
What Shaped December
- Family life stages dominated demand. Full Nest II (24.1%), Full Nest III (18.1%) and Full Nest I (9.9%) together accounted for 52.1% of all customers, making households with kids the core driver of sales and retail media reach. Add DINKs (12.1%), and these four segments alone reach 64.2% of customers.
- Short, mission-led trips defined how people shopped. Immediate / Urgency and Fill-in missions together accounted for 48.2% of all customers, with Special Occasion adding another 18.1%. December is built around fast, purposeful trips, amplified by festive intent.
- Afternoon and evening concentrated most of the market. Almost three out of four value units were spent after 13:00 (75.3% of monthly sales value), with roughly one in three between 16:00 and 20:00 alone (30.6%). Retail media impact in December is heavily skewed towards late afternoon and early evening.
- Mid-week became the real shopping window, with two sharp seasonal peaks. Tuesday and Wednesday together captured 37.1% of total monthly value, and weekdays overall reached 75.9%. The month then concentrated into two surges: Dec 23–24 delivered 9.8% of the month, followed by Dec 29–31 with another 12.4%. Christmas Day drops to near zero.
- The basket shifted from everyday top-ups to holiday cooking, hosting, and gifting. Category sales in Dessert Ingredients (+88.7% MoM), Canned Fruits (+84.4%), Pastry (+63.4%), Wine (+55.7%) and Turkey Meat (+44.8%) all grew, signalling festive meal prep, celebrations, and gifting baskets.
- Non-December foods softened as spend reallocated toward festive categories. Prepared Meat (–35.1% MoM), Meat (–30.2%), Ice Cream and Desserts (–26.3%), Cakes (–20.0%) and Chicken Meat (–19.7%) all declined, as baskets shifted toward ingredients, shareable treats, and celebration-led categories.
What Just Changed. And Why It Matters.
- From routine to holiday missions
December is not a “replenishment” month. Immediate / Urgency + Fill-in rose to 48.2% of shoppers, while festive intent became a second engine: Special Occasion (18.1%), Gift Shopping (11.8%) and Stock-up (10.9%) together reached 40.8%. - December demand compresses into a few days
The market didn’t spread evenly across the month. Dec 23–24 alone delivered 9.8% of monthly value, then Dec 29–31 added another 12.4%. Christmas Day drops to near zero. - Hosting and baking categories exploded
MoM growth is concentrated in classic December behaviors: Dessert Ingredients (+88.7%), Canned Fruits (+84.4%), Pastry (+63.4%), and Wine (+55.7%). This is meal prep + hosting + gifting in plain sight. - Protein priorities reshuffled
December didn’t just “grow meat.” It rotated. Turkey Meat rose (+44.8%) while Chicken Meat fell (–19.7%). Prepared Meat dropped (–35.1%), and broader Meat also declined (–30.2%). The winners are celebration-led choices and planned meals, not everyday convenience. - The prime time moved to weekdays and tight hours
December became more weekday-driven: Tue + Wed alone captured 37.1% of monthly value, and weekdays overall reached 75.9%. Time concentration stayed brutal: 12:00–20:00 delivered 71.6% of value, with 16:00–20:00 at 37.2%.
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Dan Marc
Brands That Moved the Market
How Shoppers Chose: Category Dynamics
Top 5 Growth Categories (MoM):
Top 5 Declining Categories (MoM):
How Shoppers Chose:
Category Sales Highlights
This section highlights the Month-over-Month (MoM%) sales evolution across major product categories. It shows how consumer demand shifted from the previous month, offering a snapshot of rising and falling trends at category level.
Where the Money Went: Category by Category
The charts reveal clear shopping patterns across the week, highlighting when consumers time their purchases:
Meat & Processed Meats
Dairy & Eggs
Bakery & Sweets
Base Foods & Cooking Ingredients
Beverages
Fruits & Vegetables
Personal Care
Home Care & Cleaning
Who Is Buying – Life Stage & Demographics
Below is who drove sales in November 2025: by life stage, age, gender, city, and shopping mission.
By Life Stage
By Age
By Gender
By City
By Shopping Mission
ACTIONABLE RETAIL MEDIA INSIGHTS FOR BRANDS
- Own the real buying windows.
December is not “always on.” It’s concentrated. Peak your plan in 16:00–20:00 and stay strong through the 12:00–20:00 window. Then pace budgets around the two decisive waves: the Christmas run-up and the year-end stock-up. If you go dark in those windows, you miss the month. - Target the missions that actually drive December.
Build two tracks in one plan. Track 1: Immediate / Urgency + Fill-in (48.2%) with functional, fast creative: “dinner tonight,” “need it now,” “quick fix.” Track 2: Special Occasion + Gift + Stock-up (40.8%) with festive creative: “host,” “bring something,” “treat the family,” “complete the table.” - Speak to family households first, then layer in DINKs.
Full Nest II (24.1%), Full Nest III (18.1%) and Full Nest I (9.9%) together represent 52.1% of customers. Add DINKs (12.1%) and you reach 64.2%. In December, families are the market. Build family-first bundles, value cues, and “shareable” positioning. - Position your brand inside holiday baskets, not as a standalone SKU.
December demand is visible in what grew fastest: dessert ingredients, canned fruits, pastry, wine, and turkey. Winning creative is “what completes the occasion,” not “buy more of this product.” Build basket logic across baking, hosting, gifting, and celebration meals. - Treat December like a set of waves, not a flat month.
Two days can carry almost a tenth of the month, and the last three days can carry more than one in ten. Plan creative rotation and inventory messages accordingly: pre-Christmas hosting and gifting, then year-end “stock the house.” One generic message can’t win both waves.
