Christmas 2025: How Holiday Demand Can Kick‑Start Your Global Expansion in 2026

Every year, Christmas concentrates an outsized share of the world’s consumer spending. In major economies, the holiday period can represent 20–30% of annual retail revenue, and US holiday sales alone are projected to pass $1 trillion for the first time in 2025. Beyond the headlines, this surge creates a unique window for businesses to test new markets, stress‑test logistics and prepare for a more international 2026.​

Holiday 2025: Consumers Keep Spending, but Smarter

Research from global payments networks and consultancies shows three clear patterns for Christmas 2025:

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  Spending holds up despite headwinds. Visa and PwC report that consumers expect only a modest pullback, with overall holiday sales still growing in the low single digits and many shoppers prioritizing experiences, travel and higher‑value gifts.​

  
  


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  Online and mobile dominate. E‑commerce and social commerce continue to outpace in‑store growth, with mobile‑first journeys, BNPL and embedded finance playing a bigger role in how customers pay.​

  
  


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  Small businesses gain share. In markets like the UK, up to one‑fifth of Christmas spending is expected to go to small businesses, representing double‑digit growth versus last year as consumers seek authenticity and local brands.​

  
  

From Christmas Spike to Global Strategy

For SMEs, this is not just a seasonal peak—it is a live test environment for international expansion:

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  Cross‑border demand. Logistics providers like DHL report that a growing number of SMEs are using the holiday season to expand into new countries, with around one‑third actively targeting international buyers through marketplaces and direct‑to‑consumer channels.​

  
  


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  B2B payment modernization. The global B2B payments transaction market is expected to reach more than USD 1.7 trillion in 2025 and almost double by 2032, driven by digital rails, AI‑driven reconciliation and blockchain‑enabled instant settlement. Companies that upgrade now can handle larger, more complex cross‑border volumes with less manual effort.​

  
  

Christmas 2025 as Your Launchpad for 2026

Instead of treating Christmas as a one‑off spike, use it as a data‑rich rehearsal. Analyze where orders came from, how quickly you delivered, which currencies and payment methods customers preferred, and where operational friction slowed you down. Those insights can shape a 2026 strategy where global expansion is not a gamble but a managed, repeatable process.​

If your Christmas sales reveal international potential, it is time to formalize your global footprint.
Doing Business International helps you design entities, banking, and payment infrastructure tailored to cross‑border growth.