Like everyone, email marketers are
about to enjoy their Christmas break.
And they have reason to celebrate, given that they helped drive global sales to the $1 trillion mark through mid-December -- a 7% increase YoY,
according to a holiday update from Salesforce.
U.S. growth lagged a little behind that number, but still hit $238 billion -- a 4% increase.
Moreover, the time
spent on ecommerce websites increased 35% YoY in the U.S. and 28% YoY globally.
This suggests that shoppers are being more careful about what they buy, although they are spending more
overall.
One significant factor this year is artificial intelligence (AI). The report shows that AI and agents influenced 18% of online sales in the U.S., and 22% of online sales
worldwide.
Retailers with shopping agents enjoyed growth of 7.2% YoY during the first 45 days of the season, while retailers with agents saw growth of 3.6%.
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Online traffic accelerated after Cyber Week concluded, with global online traffic volumes increasing 16% YoY over the last two weeks and U.S. traffic increasing 16% YoY. This signals that consumers
are far from done with their holiday shopping.
On the downside, 13% of online purchases were returned from November 1- December 15, the return peaking over
the two weeks of that period.
Social platforms drove 15% of traffic in the U.S., and 14% globally, compared to the total of 12% last year.
"With global online
sales surpassing the trillion-dollar mark and $238B in the U.S., this season isn’t just about higher spending — it’s about smarter shopping,” says Caila Schwartz, director of
consumer insights at Salesforce. “We are seeing a significant surge in consumers doing their own digital diligence, with time spent on sites jumping 35% in the U.S. as consumers move away
from impulse buys toward informed purchasing decisions.
Schwartz adds: “The 2x growth seen by retailers using AI agents proves that the brands winning this year are those providing
conversational, agentic experiences that answer product questions in real-time and bridge the gap between researching and buying."