In a climate where most consumers are concerned about tariffs (84%) and inflation (80%), the holiday season is poised to be a battlefield for retention and revenue. Optimove’s Moshe Demri, SVP of Global Revenue, joins Future Commerce to walk through the 2025 Consumer Holiday Shopping Report and explain why the “charm customer” (those responsive to modest 10%-15% discounts) may be the key to sustainable growth.
The Cherry-Picker’s Dilemma
Key takeaways:
- Meet the three customer archetypes: Full-price buyers who purchase regardless of promotions, cherry pickers who chase deep discounts and rarely return, and "charm customers" who respond to modest 10%-15% discounts and show the highest retention rates over time. (The fourth archetype: Brian)
- Transparency as a competitive advantage: Brands that communicate their promotional calendar early (like telling customers in October "this is the only Black Friday promotion you'll see from us") build trust while competitors exhaust and frustrate their audiences.
- Post-holiday retention begins at checkout: Collecting gift-giving data and offering time-sensitive follow-up promotions can transform one-time gift purchasers into repeat customers. The key is creating urgency without devaluing the brand.
- Communication requires quality, not quantity: Dodging customer fatigue is worth the awareness risk. Dialing back from daily to weekly emails might be the better move for companies this year.
- Strategic budget allocation matters more than discount depth: Want to boost long-term profitability and brand equity? Give your VIP customers high-value discounts and experiences, not low-tier cherry-pickers who are unlikely to stick around. From the Episode:
- Optimove’s 2025 Holiday Shopping Report
- New Modes: 2025 Update
- Learn more about this episode’s sponsors, Optimove, Aptos, and Future Commerce Plus.
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