Key Findings
Following the overwhelming response to our BFCM benchmarks, we decided to benchmark every major shopping holiday going forward. First up in 2025: Presidents’ Day.
The data reveals a clear pattern: sales channels can play complementary roles if you understand their strengths.
Acquire on Amazon, Retain on DTC
DTC Performance
- Retention: 128.3% vs 2024 (excellent)
- Acquisition: 86.4% vs 2024 (struggled)
Amazon Performance
- New customer acquisition: 135.7% vs 2024 (crushed it)
- Retention: 74.9% vs 2024 (underperformed)
This isn’t a coincidence. Amazon remains a discovery channel where shoppers browse and try new brands. DTC is where relationships deepen. The smartest brands acquire from all major discovery channels and retain them in DTC and retail.
Meta Performance Paradox
Meta’s dominance is waning slightly—54.5% share, down 6.4% vs 2024. But the performance signals are contradictory:
What improved:
- CPMs down 10.6%
- Impressions up 7.5%
- Clicks up 6.5%
What degraded:
- Conversion rates down 22.3%
- Result: CPAs at 116.2% vs 2024 (higher)
Meta is cheaper on a per-impression and per-click basis, but those clicks aren’t converting at the same rate. This could indicate:
- More speculative shopping behavior (browsing, not buying)
- Creative fatigue
- Audience quality shifts
Don’t take Meta’s recent efficiency gains for granted. A competitive ad marketplace always has winners and losers.
Emerging Channels Gaining Ground
While Meta’s share declined, alternatives are growing:
- Google: +4.7% to 32.5% share
- TikTok: +2.4% to 4.1% share
- Podcasts: +0.8% (showing consistent growth)
This doesn’t mean abandon Meta—it still commands the lion’s share. But keep emerging channels top of mind as you diversify your acquisition mix.
Email & SMS at a Crossroads
Email: Less is more
- Sends down 20.5% vs 2024
- Engagement maintained
Brands figured out that blasting more emails doesn’t drive more revenue. Targeted, valuable sends work better.
SMS: Some concerning signs
- Sends up 47.6% vs 2024
- Engagement down 15%
SMS is being overused. The medium feels less special when every brand texts multiple times per week. The early adopter advantage is eroding.
Klaviyo-attributed sales: 84.4% of 2024 levels
Strategic Implications for 2025
1. Channels Play Complementary Roles
Stop expecting every channel to do everything. Optimize Amazon for acquisition. Optimize DTC for retention. The combination is what drives sustainable growth.
2. Understand Your Customers and Optimize for the Right Metrics
If you’re optimizing Amazon for retention, you’re measuring the wrong thing. If you’re optimizing DTC purely for new customer acquisition, you’re underutilizing the channel’s strength.
3. Don’t Take Meta for Granted
Meta’s efficiency gains are real, but they’re not guaranteed. CPMs down doesn’t mean CPAs down. Keep testing emerging channels before you need them.
4. The Email/SMS Challenge Is Relevance, Not Volume
The game is to send fewer emails and SMS while making more money with each send. This requires better segmentation, better timing, and better content—not more blasts.
Source: SourceMedium Presidents’ Day 2025 Benchmark Dashboard. For holiday benchmarks across all major shopping events, visit sourcemedium.com.
