Winning Holiday 2025: why local + CTV should be at the heart of your omnichannel strategy

Holiday 2025 is shaping up to be one of the busiest and most competitive shopping seasons yet. Shoppers are buying earlier, switching between screens constantly, and making decisions based on what they see and hear across multiple platforms.That means if you wait until November to launch holiday campaigns, you’re already missing out on a massive audience of early buyers.

The good news? Consumers are eager to support local businesses in their communities this season. 

• 60% of Shoppers Support Small/Local Businesses: In 2025, 60% of shoppers expressed a preference for supporting small or local businesses during the holiday season.
• 71% Willing to Pay More to Support Small Businesses: A 2024 GoDaddy survey revealed that 71% of U.S. consumers are willing to pay more to support small businesses during the holiday season, with 53% ready to spend up to 10% more than they would at larger retailers. 
• 74 Million People Plan to Spend More at Small Businesses: According to QuickBooks' 2024 Holiday Shopping Survey, 74 million people intend to spend more money at small businesses this holiday season than they did last year.

For local advertisers, the opportunity is clear: show up early, show up everywhere, and most importantly—show up on the biggest screen in the house: Connected TV (CTV). With two in three consumers (66%) saying they’re motivated to spend more at small, local businesses, local truly is the reason for the season.

What’s powering local holiday shopping this season?

1. Unmistakable Christmas creep: Shoppers aren’t hanging stockings in November—they’re shopping for deals in September and October. 

• In 2025, 45% of consumers will begin their holiday shopping between September and October, a clear sign that early-bird strategies are now business as usual.

2. Social commerce is no longer minor—it’s monumental: Social platforms aren’t just showing off gifts—they’re closing the sale.

• 21% of shoppers purchased holiday gifts directly via social media in 2025, up from 12% in 2024.
• A staggering 55% of shoppers devoted 11–50% of their holiday budgets to social commerce, up from 33% in 2024.

3. Mobile dominates with a side of seamless multi-channel shopping: Between second-screening and the ease of checkout, mobile is on the rise.

• This holiday season, over 90% of the net increase in holiday ecommerce sales is being driven by mobile channels. Almost all growth rests in scrolling thumbs, not carts at desktops.
• In 2024, U.S. ecommerce holiday sales rose 8.7% year-over-year to $241.4 billion, with more than half—$131.5 billion—powered by mobile commerce.
• Roughly 63% of holiday shoppers plan to shop both online and in-store, reflecting a fluid, cross-channel consumer mindset.

4. Spending patterns are cautiously optimistic: Consumers are more budget-conscious, but not necessarily cutting back spending.

• The National Retail Federation reports Americans spent $994.1 billion during the 2024 holiday season, exceeding forecasts and underscoring robust core retail sales (+4%).
• Still, budgets remain resilient: In 2025, 90% of gift-givers intend to spend the same—or more—with 35% expecting to spend more than the previous year.

5. The power of planning & protection: Top drivers for early shopping aren’t just impulsive joy—they’re strategic:

• 66% say they’re shopping early to avoid shipping delays.
• 63% want to finish shopping as fast as possible, especially with holiday timelines tightening and supply chains still twitchy.

Why CTV is the hero channel of the holidays

CTV has quickly become the centerpiece of holiday advertising strategies. In this section, we’ll explore why it’s such a powerful vehicle for local advertisers—showing how investment, adoption, and consumer behavior all point to its growing influence. CTV is also a conversion powerhouse, generating 10 times more conversions than linear TV, while only using 60% of the total spend allocated to the traditional linear channel, according to a May report from Incrmntal.

• Local CTV ad spend is projected to hit nearly $3 billion in 2025, tripling since 2020.
• 56% of marketers globally plan to increase OTT/CTV spending in 2025.
• CTV device ownership is now at 87%+ of U.S. households, underscoring mass adoption.
  59% of CTV viewers say streaming/TV ads help drive their holiday shopping, using it for ideas and gift inspiration.

CTV isn’t just another channel—it’s where holiday shoppers are watching, engaging, and making buying decisions.

Take your CTV strategy up a notch—here’s how layering channels multiplies local impact

Individually powerful, these channels become transformative when combined. CTV builds the foundation, while audio, social, display, and mobile extend reach, drive action, and reinforce the message across the shopper’s journey.

Second-screening is mainstream: in the U.S., 55% say they frequently look at their phones while watching TV—prime moments to hit people with social ads while they’re on the couch.

Social drives streaming viewing: among younger gens, 56% watch shows on SVOD after hearing about them from creators online, and 53% say social gives better watch recommendations—i.e., social sparks demand that CTV can capture.

When used together, these channels don’t just expand reach—they multiply effectiveness. A 2025 SiriusXM study found that integrating audio with other channels can deliver up to 50% incremental reach. In the high-stakes holiday season, where brand recall directly influences purchase decisions, this kind of lift can make or break your results.

The Bottom Line

Flexibility and frictionless experience wins in Holiday 2025. CTV, with its powerful reach and local targeting capabilities, will be the main champion this season. Advertisers that connect the dots across local channels—with CTV at the center—will resonate most with today’s consumers. 

Contact Madhive today to make your campaigns smarter, more impactful, and impossible to ignore this holiday season.

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