This year’s Cyber Five brought in record sales, but it’s still unclear how consumer spending will unfold through the rest of the holiday season and into the new year.

Shoppers are moving in different directions based on their financial stability, and many are starting their holiday buying weeks earlier. Coming out of the gate with strong value and consistent messaging is paying off early, but brands must keep that energy going as the season stretches and shifts.

Based on Cyber Five results and expert insights, here’s what to prepare for the rest of the holiday season and beyond.

1. Holiday demand is strong but shopper behavior is splitting

Shoppers showed up to the Cyber Five this year, with online sales totaling $44.2 billion, up 7.7% YoY over the five-day period, according to Adobe Analytics. Order volumes were up 36% YoY during Black Friday week and average order value jumped 30%, from $164 to $215.

Despite the momentum, a split in consumer behavior is emerging.

“Higher-income and low-to-moderate-income shoppers are spending at very different paces,” said Mike Skordeles, head of US economics at Truist Advisory Services. “For higher-income consumers, robust spending is driven by wealth effects from stock market gains and home appreciation. For low- to moderate-income consumers, spending is more muted but still growing, supported by continued wage growth that’s still running above pre-pandemic levels.”

This divide may deepen in the coming months, according to Griffin Smith, director, Ogilvy consulting and head of Ogilvy Behavioral Science, North America.

• On one side is “defensive decision making,” where under financial stress, many shoppers will lean toward familiar brands, predictable value, and low-risk purchases.
• On the other side, some consumers may lean into “retail therapy,” using purchases as a short-term emotional coping mechanism.
• “For them, shopping becomes less about novelty and more about restoring a sense of control,” said Smith. “The key question for brands is whether their customers are seeking certainty or escape.”

For brands, this is a reminder to balance dependable value with small indulgences, meeting consumers wherever they’re at.

2. Full-funnel environments are becoming essential

With holiday shopping spread over an expanded season and attention splintered across channels, marketers are seeking more efficient ways to guide shoppers through the funnel.

“Brands are looking for channels that can build awareness, drive consideration, and convert within the same environment,” said Gabrielle Heyman, vice president of global brand sales and partnerships at Zynga.

• This approach favors walled gardens, retail media networks, gaming environments, and high-quality publisher ecosystems where storytelling and commerce coexist.
• It also places more emphasis on social platforms, which drove 15% of US retailer site traffic on Cyber Monday, up from 12% last year, according to Salesforce data.

To stretch their marketing dollars further, marketers can amplify full-funnel efforts by layering in contextual advertising.

“To stand out and drive performance in this highly competitive landscape, advertisers need more than just timely messaging, they need precision,” said Marc Grabowski, chief operating officer at Integral Ad Science. “Reaching consumers in the right moments means targeting content that aligns with their interests and avoiding content that doesn’t.”

3. Early shopping is redefining the Cyber Five

With the holiday shopping season starting earlier each year, brands need to lay the groundwork weeks in advance.

“Brands were reaching out to loyal customers… as far back as October. They nurtured those relationships well before the rush, driving meaningful revenue long before the big weekend officially began,” said Priya Gill, CMO of Iterable.

To jump-start shopping early, many brands offered Thanksgiving discounts that typically wouldn’t appear until later in the Cyber Five.

• On Thanksgiving, toys were marked down 27% and appliances 19%, which are discount levels expected on Black Friday, according to Adobe Analytics.
• Electronics peaked at 28% off, apparel at 25%, and computers at 23%, matching typical Cyber Monday deals.

Early engagement is becoming a competitive advantage. Brands that nurture their audiences ahead of time may see the biggest payoff.

4. AI guides the journey, but humans still matter

AI played a major role in the Cyber Five this year.

• AI and agents influenced 20% of global orders, accounting for $67 billion in sales, according to Salesforce.
• Retailers using branded agents saw sales grow 32% faster than those without them.
• Agentic customer service tasks (returns, address changes) jumped 70% YoY.

As consumers turn to AI for guidance, marketers must optimize for algorithmic discovery while still delivering the human nuance that influences bigger, more personal purchases.

“Agentic AI is already reshaping how consumers search and buy, and I think that acceleration will be impossible to ignore in 2026,” said Gill. “But big life purchases, travel, wellness, anything that requires trust, nuance, or a sense of personal preference, will still need a human touch. That’s where marketing teams will have a meaningful role in shaping how this next wave of consumer behavior evolves.”

This was originally featured in the Retail Daily newsletter. For more retail insights, statistics, and trends, subscribe here.