In our capacity as a Shopify agency for high-end brands here at Skywire London, we are always receptive to the insights the Canadian company provides that have relevance to various aspects of e-tail during the mid-2020s. 

Sure enough, Shopify has been putting a magnifying glass on consumers’ spending intentions for the key shopping periods looming over the final three months of 2025. 

The October-to-December period is, of course, frequently referred to by the retail industry as the “Golden Quarter”. This alludes to the lucrative opportunities the likes of Halloween, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas can bring for both online and offline stores. 

To compile its Holiday Retail Report for 2025, Shopify quizzed 18,000 consumers around the globe, and 7,500 small and medium-sized firms, including thousands of respondents in the UK. 

What has Shopify discovered about how people plan to spend this season? 

The ecommerce giant’s findings give reason for many UK businesses across the lifestyle, luxury, and fashion sectors to feel heartened by their prospects this autumn and winter. That’s because Britons reportedly intend to pay out £181 over the course of Halloween, Black Friday, and Christmas for seasonal items. 

This figure represents a significant jump from the £159 recorded last year. Such an encouraging figure comes despite the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, as well as worries about what Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves’ upcoming Budget could hold. 

Shopify has spoken of “rising retail confidence and cautious optimism, shared by both businesses and consumers ahead of this year’s peak shopping season”. 

This upbeat conclusion is further backed up by the finding that eight in 10 (80%) UK businesses anticipated higher sales this holiday season than in 2024. The global average for this measure is some way behind, at 72%. 

What did British consumers say about their relationship with AI? 

As we touched on at the top of this article, Shopify’s polling also shed considerable light on the role that AI is coming to play in the UK retail – and e-tail – experience. 

Overall, some 66% of UK shoppers stated that they were likely to turn to AI for holiday shopping. The participants in the research particularly valued this technology for how it helped them find inspiration and discover products. 

Having said this, it is equally clear that many British consumers have yet to place their full trust in AI. More than two thirds (67%) of the surveyed shoppers said they were still wary of the technology, and 74% said that buying from a person continued to matter to them. 

The increasingly central role of AI presents an “opportunity” for brands 

In light of these findings, Shopify declared that brands had a “clear opportunity” to “pair AI-powered personalisation with transparent controls and easy access to human support, building trust and comfort as shoppers try new technology.” 

The company added that there was “scope for more AI adoption, and brands that balance tech-enabled personalisation with human service will have the strongest advantage.” 

Make strides with your lifestyle, luxury, or fashion brand’s digital presence 

If your own business is looking to optimise its online and ecommerce activity with the help of a widely trusted and proven Shopify agency for high-end brands, our team at Skywire London stands ready to deliver the necessary digital excellence.  

For a more detailed discussion of how we can help put your organisation on a path to growth throughout 2026 and beyond, please contact our UK-based, but globally minded professionals today.

Photo by Iuliia Pilipeichenko on Unsplash