Holiday Shopping Discount Trends: When to Find the Best Deals in 2025

Last updated June 23, 2025

Written by the Squealmydeal Team

Something remarkable happens every year.

As retailers prepare for the holiday shopping season, a carefully orchestrated dance of discounts unfolds—one that savvy shoppers have learned to anticipate and strategic retailers have mastered.

In 2025, this discount choreography has reached new levels of sophistication. Retailers now begin holiday promotions in early October, with “pre-Black Friday” deals appearing a full 7 weeks before Christmas—compared to just 4 weeks a decade ago.

What’s driving this extended discount season? Data shows 41% of shoppers now begin their holiday shopping before Halloween, up from just 27% in 2020. The traditional “Cyber 5” weekend between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday has transformed into a full “Deals Quarter” spanning October through December.

But the story doesn’t end with timing. The nature and depth of discounts have evolved in ways that are reshaping both consumer expectations and retailer strategies.

Key Holiday Shopping Discount Trends

• The holiday shopping season now effectively begins in early October
• 87% of consumers research discounts before making any holiday purchase
• Mobile discount use increases 42% during holiday season
• 63% of shoppers use price comparison tools when holiday shopping
• The deepest discounts (59% off) are found during the “Cyber 5” period
• Super Saturday (the last Saturday before Christmas) has surpassed Black Friday for total sales volume
• Post-Christmas clearance sales offer deeper discounts than Black Friday for certain categories

The Holiday Discount Calendar: When to Find the Best Deals

Understanding when specific product categories reach their maximum discount levels is crucial for both shoppers and retailers. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of the 2025 discount calendar:

October: The Early Bird Phase

Once dominated by Halloween merchandise, October has transformed into the official start of holiday discount season. Research shows 8% of shoppers started their holiday shopping in September and 19% started in October in 2024, with this trend accelerating in 2025.

Key discount periods include:

• Amazon’s October Prime Event (October 8-9): Expect 20-40% discounts on electronics, home goods, and Amazon devices
• Early Black Friday Previews (Last week of October): Major retailers offer 15-30% discounts to capture early shoppers
• Halloween Clearance (October 31-November 3): Seasonal items discounted 50-75%

Electronics and toys see modest discounts during this period (10-25%), but these are primarily designed to build momentum rather than offer maximum value.

November: Peak Discount Season

November remains the epicenter of holiday discounts, with the traditional Black Friday and Cyber Monday anchoring major promotions.

• Pre-Thanksgiving Deals (November 1-20): Gradual increase in discounts across categories, averaging 20-35%
• Black Friday Week (November 21-28): The deepest discounts observed during the “Cyber 5” period, with record-level discounts for televisions, appliances, and sporting goods
• Black Friday (November 28): Predicted to be one of the five busiest shopping days of 2025

  The retail side of the discount equation has grown increasingly sophisticated in 2025.

  The Psychology of Discounting

  Retailers are applying behavioral economics principles to holiday discounts:

  • 73% of major retailers now use AI-driven dynamic pricing during the holiday season
  • Time-limited “flash sales” have increased by 35% compared to 2024
  • Exclusive member-only discounts have grown by 48% year-over-year
  • The perception of scarcity (“while supplies last”) is used by 82% of retailers

  These techniques aim to create a sense of urgency and exclusivity, driving conversions even when discounts are modest.

  Personalized Discount Delivery

  Individualized discounts have become standard practice:

  • 64% of major retailers now offer personalized discount recommendations based on browsing history
  • Email remains the preferred discount delivery channel, with 44% of consumers preferring email for receiving promotions
  • Location-based discount alerts increase by 56% during the holiday shopping season
  • Loyalty program members receive an average of 17% deeper discounts than non-members

  This personalization allows retailers to preserve margins by targeting discounts only where needed to drive conversion.

  Buy Now, Pay Later as a Discount Alternative

  Flexible payment options have emerged as an alternative to traditional discounting:

  • BNPL allows customers to split payments over time without interest. 3 in 4 people already use this method, and half of GEN Z will use it by 2025
  • Cyber Monday 2023 was BNPL’s biggest day ever, with holiday shoppers using BNPL to purchase $940 million worth of online orders
  • 37% of shoppers report they’re more likely to complete a purchase with BNPL than with a traditional discount
  • Retailers see an 18-23% higher average order value when BNPL is used compared to discount-driven purchases

  This trend allows retailers to maintain price integrity while still providing perceived value to price-sensitive shoppers.

  The Rise of Values-Based Discounting

  A new trend has emerged that merges discounting with brand values and social causes.

  Sustainability and Ethical Discounting

  Eco-conscious discounting has gained significant traction:

  • 43% of retailers now offer “green” discounts tied to sustainable products
  • Carbon-offset discounts (additional savings for choosing eco-friendly shipping) are offered by 27% of major retailers
  • 50% of U.S. consumers and 59% of millennials are willing to pay a premium for sustainably produced products
  • 38% of younger shoppers report choosing retailers based on their ethical discount approaches

  However, Beitelspacher cautions that the emphasis on sustainability often remains aspirational. “When sustainability aligns with convenience and price, it works,” she said. “But it’s not yet a primary driver. Consumers may gravitate toward eco-friendly options if they’re already competitively priced and easy to access.”

  Cause-Related Discounting

  Charitable tie-ins with discounts have increased:

  • 52% of retailers now incorporate some form of charity component in holiday discounts
  • GivingTuesday was started in 2012 by a group of nonprofits to create a sort of “Black Friday” for charitable spending during the holiday season
  • “Buy one, give one” promotions increase by 42% during the holiday season
  • 61% of consumers report they’re more likely to choose a retailer offering cause-related discounts when price and product are equal

  This approach helps retailers maintain price integrity while still providing value-conscious shoppers with additional reasons to purchase.

  2025 Holiday Shopping Discount Calendar

  Here’s a comprehensive calendar of the most important discount days for holiday shoppers in [cy:

  Date	Event	Best Categories	Avg. Discount
  Oct 8-9	October Prime Event	Electronics, Amazon devices	25-35%
  Oct 24-31	Early Black Friday	Home goods, apparel	20-30%
  Oct 31-Nov 3	Halloween Clearance	Seasonal items, candy	50-75%
  Nov 1-20	Pre-Black Friday	Various categories	20-35%
  Nov 21-28	Black Friday Week	Electronics, appliances	30-50%
  Nov 28	Black Friday	All categories	30-60%
  Dec 1	Cyber Monday	Online-only deals, electronics	35-55%
  Dec 8	Green Monday	Last major shipping day deals	25-40%
  Dec 13	Free Shipping Day	Online retailers	15-30% + free ship
  Dec 20	Super Saturday	Last-minute gifts, gift cards	20-40%
  Dec 21-23	Last-Minute Rush	In-store pickup, experience gifts	15-30%
  Dec 26-31	After-Christmas	Seasonal items, winter apparel	40-80%

  Conclusion

  The landscape of holiday shopping discounts has evolved far beyond the simple doorbusters of years past. Today’s discount ecosystem is a sophisticated interplay of timing, psychology, technology, and strategy.

  For consumers, understanding these patterns can lead to significant savings, with the average household able to save 27-38% on their holiday shopping through strategic timing and discount utilization.

  For retailers, the challenge lies in balancing margin preservation with meeting consumer expectations for deals. Those that master the art of strategic discounting—offering the right deal to the right consumer at the right time—will find themselves with a significant competitive advantage in an increasingly crowded marketplace.

  What’s certain is that as technology continues to evolve and consumer expectations rise, the holiday discount landscape will continue its transformation, making it more important than ever for both shoppers and retailers to stay informed about these crucial trends.