Plus: Black Friday’s slow fade | How Gen Z is reshaping retail
Do you have a culture gap? It may be what’s holding you back come the holidays. We look at why investing in your employee experience is just as important as your customer experience. We also dig into what’s killing Black Friday and what new retail trends are taking its place.
But first, if you’re looking for some holiday décor or merchandising inspo, check out Ralph Lauren’s impeccable pop-up experience at London’s Sloane Square.
Artist in residence. Why artist collabs are the next big thing in retail.
Mall-bound. How Gen Z shoppers are shaping the future of retail.
Master class. How two retail leaders deal with the make-or-break holiday season.
Throwing it back. These small Nevada businesses serve up retro vibes.
Wage S.O.S. Most retail workers don’t earn enough to afford rent.
Retailers are missing culture and connection in employee experience
Retailers’ blind spot during the holidays is culture, not staffing, says Gideon Pridor, CMO of employee experience platform Workvivo. Those who don’t treat seasonal frontline workers like valued team members end up with a wave of exits and have to start over each year. Leaders should instead communicate early and often and begin engagement before peak season. Use clear messaging, recognize daily and celebrate small wins in real time.
Why this matters: Hiring quickly and under-training doesn’t cut it anymore. To win during the holidays, retailers should design the employee experience with the same effort as the customer experience: map the journey, reward good work daily and reinforce belonging year-round. (Retail Customer Experience)
Black Friday’s dominance is waning—and what’s replacing it
It used to be the biggest shopping day of the year, but a few factors changed that in 2025. AI referral traffic has doubled from 1-4% in 2024 to 5-8% in 2025. Dynamic pricing and early discounts have taken the steam out of the one-day sale. E-comm has removed the need to rush to the store, and expanded loyalty programs are stretching shopping timelines. This year, only 20% of shoppers planned to start their holiday shopping the day after Thanksgiving.
Why this matters: We’re shifting to a continuous commerce model versus banner shopping days, where retailers will have to step up year-round, while making the holidays feel seamless, personalized and convenient. (Quartz)
3 in 4 shoppers prefer to holiday shop at small businesses
Black Friday shoppers are paying more for less
Which stores were the winners and losers on Black Friday?
What new shopping habits has AI taught us?
How Walmart became the retail industry’s tech giant
What a retail forecaster’s crystal ball says about shopper behavior
Katie Thomas, who leads the Kearney Consumer Institute within consulting firm Kearney, is paid to predict consumer behavior, and she says the desire for control in an uncertain world is what’s driving shoppers now. That could show up as a store boycott, a refusal to buy name brands, or a focus on the aesthetic of what you’re buying—the statement piece versus the basic. Shoppers, however, are being choosy, searching for deals and prioritizing value.
"I’m calling it the frugal consumer…we’re seeing exhaustion that extends far beyond the wallet. Where am I spending my time, my money, my energy—how am I distributing that in a world that feels so exhausting lately?" - Katie Thomas, Kearney Consumer Institute
Why this matters: Both Thomas and Adobe Analytics predict that retailers will have to offer steeper discounts this holiday season than anticipated to get people to make that extra, non-essential purchase. (NPR)
How AI is changing what retailers do to be “seen” online
While most holiday online sales will come from website visits or online searches, a small but highly intentional percentage of shopper referrals will come from AI chatbots like ChatGPT or Google Gemini. That’s changing how retailers make themselves “seen” by these artificial agents, which favor language found in blog posts, reviews, audio transcripts of video content, Reddit and questions that shoppers ask them directly. That means creating more content for these channels, as well as for other publications’ gift guides and “best of” lists.
Why this matters: AI referrals now account for only 1% of traffic on retailers like Amazon, Walmart and eBay, but that’s quickly growing, and Amazon says that shoppers using its Rufus agent are 60% more likely to purchase. (Reuters)
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The SKUpe is curated and written by Marcy Medina and edited by Bianca Prieto.
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