Brands Try to Get the Tone Right for Holiday 2025

"On one end of the spectrum are glittering ads featuring the likes of Mariah Carey encouraging shoppers to splurge on beauty and influencers unboxing beauty advent calendars worth thousands of dollars. On the other are brands urging consumers to slow down, buy less or opt out of the frenzy entirely. To large audiences, some of the more ostentatious ads have come across as tone deaf in a season where news has centred around people missing paychecks and food assistance benefits."

""I see an increased concern about cost of living, and I see that around the world," said Deciem global brand president Jesper Rasmussen. The accessible skincare label is in its seventh year of its Patagonia-inspired "Slowvember" campaign that will include the closure of all stores and its online shop on Black Friday, instead making all products 23 percent off for the entire month."

"Studies have shown dampened US consumer sentiment for the holidays and cautious spending. A Deloitte survey found that 57 percent of respondents think the economy will weaken in 2026, the highest percentage since 1997. Deloitte and PricewaterhouseCoopers estimated that consumers would spend between 5 and 10 percent less this year than last on holiday purchases, including gifts. But overall retail spending during the period is projected to grow by 3.7 to 4.2 percent, according to the National Retail Federation, surpassing $1 trillion for the first time."

Beauty brands are taking sharply divergent holiday strategies: some encourage extravagant purchases while others promote restrained consumption. Analysts describe a K-shaped economy where wealthier shoppers splurge and cost-sensitive consumers cut back. Lavish campaigns feature celebrities and expensive advent calendars, while brands like Deciem run "Slowvember" and close stores on Black Friday, offering month-long discounts. Surveys show weakened consumer sentiment and forecasts of lower holiday spending, yet overall retail spending is still projected to rise and exceed $1 trillion. Brands are therefore tailoring messaging to segmented audiences, balancing tone with economic realities and varied disposable incomes.

Read at The Business of Fashion