For a variety of reasons, ranging from rising prices to new technologies with which consumers have begun experimenting, the 2025 holiday season has shone a light on where the retail industry is headed – and Cyber Weekend was the brightest flicker yet.

During Cyber Weekend, which includes the period from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, Algolia powered 33.5 billion searches, a 13% increase year-over-year, with peak traffic reaching nearly 120,000 queries per second. Black Friday alone saw 9.3 billion searches, up 40% YoY. November as a whole saw 184 billion queries, up 61% YoY. This wasn’t just a weekend surge. It reflected how holiday shopping has become a season-long journey, with Cyber Weekend acting as the centerpiece.

Shoppers were more likely to shop — but not spend more

An Algolia survey of 1,000 U.S. adults in November found that 54% of consumers were more likely to shop Cyber Weekend this year compared to last, however, only 26% expected to spend more money. The average shopper’s motivation was largely driven by bargain hunting due to inflation and high prices.

This gap shows that today’s shopper is eager to participate in Cyber Weekend given the scores of deals and tools to stretch their budgets but are keeping their purse strings tighter. This underscores the importance of surfacing the right promotions at the right time through fast, relevant search.

Hybrid shopping defined the season

Nearly half of consumers (47%) said they planned to shop both online and in-store, with parents of kids under 25 even more likely (58%). One of the key takeaways from this year’s Cyber Weekend is that retail foot traffic decreased on Black Friday but saw promising growth across the weekend as a whole. This suggests consumers want to shop in-person from time to time, but with intention rather than on impulse. 

This blended approach defined the holiday season: shoppers want the convenience of online shopping paired with physical in-store browsing. Retailers must take note of this balance – despite rapidly growing online activity during the holiday season, the in-store experience cannot be overlooked as a means to capture the hybrid shopper. 

Generative AI emerged as a shopping assistant

Consumers have begun experimenting with generative AI tools throughout the holiday season:

• 48% used them for product reviews and comparisons

• 46% for finding cheaper alternatives

• 31–39% for gift inspiration (depending on the type of gift)

Interestingly, there was one big winner this Cyber Weekend: pets! Not only did searches for pet gifts increase by 81% year-over-year, consumers also expressed more confidence in using generative AI to recommend pet gifts than other human loved ones.

What does this mean? It shows an opportunity for retailers to capitalize on trending gift items and consumer interest in technology to integrate AI-powered search and recommendations to guide shoppers.

Ethics and transparency are key concerns for consumers

As AI touches more aspects of the retail experience, one clear mandate from the average consumer has become clear: ethics and transparency are nonnegotiable.

• 82% believed retailers had a responsibility to be transparent about how AI influenced pricing and promotions

• 78% said they would avoid shopping with a retailer if they learned AI was used unethically

For retailers, the message is straightforward: no transparency, no deal.

What should retailers take away?

This look at consumer sentiment and activity presents a roadmap for how retailers can build a loyal following and maintain relevance in the AI era.

First, search and AI retrieval is the backbone of online shopping. With billions of queries flowing through Algolia’s platform during Cyber Weekend, relevance, speed, and maintaining uptime were essential to ensure a positive customer experience.

Second, hybrid shopping is here to stay. Shoppers prefer to blend the convenience of online with the experience of in-store, often during the same trip. It’s not one or the other – it’s both.

Third, AI is becoming a powerful shopping assistant, but not a one-stop-shop for consumers. It’s most helpful for gift ideas, checking prices across retailers, and finding deals, but not yet for actual purchasing.

And finally, the only way to build powerful brand loyalty is by giving that trust back to the customer in the form of transparency. Shopping has become much bigger and smarter, but technology will only take us as far as the brand using it will allow.

Search designed for everyday shoppers

There’s a reason Algolia’s AI Retrieval platform is trusted by major retailers and brands worldwide. Today’s consumer wants a frictionless, relevant, and lightning-fast digital shopping experience, and they’re willing to try new brands that prioritize this offering. With more than one billion queries powered every 5 seconds, and a fusion of search, language, and logic to support relevance at scale, Algolia fits the bill.