Survey: Black Friday, Cyber Monday remain critical to online holiday sales
Holiday sales are expected to play a key role once again for online U.S. merchants this year.
Seasonal and religious holidays are key sales drivers for online businesses, with nearly six-in-10 (57%) reporting increased activity, according to a new survey from DHL eCommerce. Black Friday and Cyber Monday remain critical, with more than half (55%) of retailers reporting significant sales impact.
Over 50% of businesses saw increased Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales from 2023 to 2024. Additionally, more than three-quarters (77%) of respondents said customers "completely and mostly trust" their e-commerce offers and pricing during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
“Despite a challenging landscape shaped by global geopolitical shifts, U.S. online retailers are showing remarkable resilience and innovation this holiday season,” said Scott Ashbaugh, CEO, DHL eCommerce Americas. “Our latest study reveals that businesses are doubling down on what matters most: free delivery, trusted pricing, and AI-driven personalization. It’s clear that agility, customer trust, and smart technology are driving success in today’s dynamic e-commerce environment.”
DHL eCommerce’s survey found that more than half (52%) of retailers offer free delivery as the tactic most commonly used to aid cart/basket conversion on their e-commerce platform. Eighty-six percent of merchants believe that free delivery or returns improve their business sales. The average return rate among those surveyed is 13%, which DHL says suggests low return volumes – possibly due to high satisfaction or underreporting.
Almost two-thirds of online orders from U.S. merchants are sent domestically. Of those businesses that do sell internationally, 60% sell to Canada and 55% sell to the U.K.
[READ MORE: Survey: 79% of global consumers to shop year-end sales]
Additional findings from the survey include the following:
- 43% of online retailers are using AI-powered product recommendations and real-time inventory updates across their e-commerce platforms.
- 77% of online merchants sell on their own e-commerce website, followed by 69% on social media and 67% on marketplaces.
- Only 31% of businesses find it easy to switch delivery or returns providers, highlighting a need for more flexible logistics solutions.
For its 2025 E-Commerce Trends Report: Business Edit, DHL surveyed 300 U.S. business-to-business and business-to-consumer online merchants. The full survey can be found here.
