It’s that time again – you can almost hear the jingle bells, Mariah is defrosting, and headphones will soon be playing all the holiday hits. The Christmas season is without doubt the most auditory time of the year. With billions at stake, the challenge for retailers, hospitality, and e-commerce brands isn’t whether shoppers will spend, it’s whether they’ll spend with you.
In 2024, UK seasonal sales were forecast around £88 billion, up more than £3 billion from the year before (Statista). That momentum is set to continue, but it’s the brands that plan ahead, stay relevant, and deliver timely offers that will reap the rewards.
The Digital Audio Opportunity
It’s not a secret that shoppers are bombarded with offers. The key to cutting through isn’t shouting louder to the wrong audience; it’s being smarter and speaking directly to the right one. Bespoke audience curation and precision location targeting at audioadpro let you put your message in front of your ideal market, in the preferred place, at the perfect moment.
This is where digital audio advertising thrives. With high recall and strong brand salience, it makes you the brand they think of when it matters most. With 311 transactions taking place every second during the 2024 holiday season (Starcount), being front of mind is everything.
Shoppers are increasingly tuned in to audio at every stage of their journey, making it a powerful channel for seasonal campaigns. With geo-contextual targeting, audioadpro can connect with listeners in precisely these moments – whether they’re at home, on the way to the shops (thanks to the rise of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), or out and about.
Research from SiriusXM and Disqo (2024) shows that 58% of people listen while driving to and from the grocery store, and 56% when heading to a retail store; moments when purchase intent is already high, and even during the act of shopping itself. Ofcom’s Audio Listening in the UK 2025 data confirms this shift in the UK, with one-fifth of in-car audio time now spent on streaming services and podcasts.
With UK mobile commerce now approaching £90-100 billion annually (Statista, 2024), the devices people use to listen are increasingly the same ones they use to buy, making commuting and on-the-go moments part of a much larger mobile shopping opportunity.
What’s more, audio is fast emerging as one of the most exciting opportunities within retail media, giving advertisers direct access to shoppers throughout their purchasing journey. Latest IAB UK adspend research shares “UK digital ad spend is set to hit £45bn by 2026, with Retail Media and TV+ driving the next phase of growth. Retail Media has rapidly established itself as a core channel, reflecting how brands are investing closer to the point of purchase to drive measurable outcomes.”
Retail Trends
This year’s festive season is shaping up to be a strong one. Customers intend to spend more on festive food (+13% net) and gifts (+14% net), according to Mail Metro Media – welcome news for brands across retail, e-commerce, hospitality, and leisure.
Recent shopping behaviour backs this up. On Cyber Monday 2024, the average order value climbed to £131.95, the highest in four years (Ecommpay via British Retail Consortium). Globally, 75% of shoppers made a purchase over Black Friday/Cyber Monday (DHL), showing just how powerful these peak shopping moments remain.
2025 also marks a cultural shift: millennials will take charge of Christmas for the first time as the UK’s largest generation. This is a group that loves unique touches, with three-quarters of them preferring to host with creativity and personal flair. If your product or service helps elevate the hosting experience, the appetite is clearly there.
Getting Your Briefs In
The season isn’t just busy for consumers, it’s a critical period for marketers too. The earlier you brief your campaigns in, the more time you’ll have to influence consumers, plan against sales promotions, and secure digital audio campaigns with audioadpro that put your ads into the ears of your audience.
The brands that win will be those that combine smarter targeting, timely offers, and reach their target audience wherever they’re listening.
