Online retailers set for a very merry Christmas with Brits ready to splash out record £26.9 billion
UK shoppers are set to spend a record breaking £26.9 billion online in November and December (up 4.2% YoY), with Black Friday alone topping £1.19 billion, according to Adobe Analytics data.
Cyber Weekend will pull in almost £1 billion a day. Sales are projected to reach £3.8 billion, the equivalent to more than £39.5 million every hour over the four-day shopping event
Traffic to retail sites from GenAI sources is, meanwhile,expected to be up 410% compared with the 2024 holiday season as shoppers turn to AI for gift inspiration, deal hunting, and making sure presents arrive on time.
Mobile devices will continue to add to their majority share of online spending during the 2025 holiday season, setting a new record for amount spent and share of spend. £15.3 billion will be spent via mobile devices in November and December, up 5.5% on last years' £14.5 billion. Mobile revenue share during the holiday season is forecast to be 56.7% of total online spending, edging up from 56% last year.
Elsewhere, Click and Collect has been used in 10% of orders so far this year. This is up slightly from 2024 when it was used in 9.8% of orders, and 2023 when it was used in 8% of orders. Click and Collect continues to play its biggest role later in the season, as shoppers look to avoid shipping delays. Peak utilisation is expected around 15th - 16th December at 13%–16% of orders.
Finally, total online buy now pay later (BNPL) spend during the 2025 holiday season (1st November –31st December) is forecast at £3.8 billion, up 5.4% on last year’s £3.6 billion.
Black Friday is forecast to see £132.1 million spent using BNPL, up 12.7% YoY. Cyber Monday is set to be the largest day ever for UK BNPL with shoppers splashing out £159.3 million through the services, up 4.2% on the previous record of £152.8 million set on Cyber Monday 2024.
2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS
AI was a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.
We received a record number of entries and many fantastic examples of the continued resilience and dynamism of the retail space during hugely challenging times.
For a full rundown of all of the shortlisted entries, click here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC in Central London on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
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