Unpacking Early 2025 Trends: How Consumers Are Spending & What It Means for You

At Airtime, our mission is to help retailers stay ahead of fast-shifting consumer behaviour. With Q1 2025 now in full swing, the data paints a clear picture: even after the holiday buzz, shoppers remain active and eager to spend—just in new and often surprising ways.

1. A Bright Start to the Year

Contrary to the usual ‘post-holiday slump’ talk, the first quarter of 2025 is showcasing steady purchasing habits compared to the same period last year. This resilience suggests that many shoppers are finding ways to maintain regular purchasing habits, balancing everyday needs with occasional indulgences.

Key Takeaway: Rather than a dramatic slowdown, early 2025 spending appears to be marked by consistent, smaller-scale transactions. Retailers that continue to offer compelling value and convenience beyond the holiday season are well-positioned to retain customer loyalty, even amid cost-of-living pressures.

2. Differences by Gender

An interesting nuance is the divide between male and female shoppers. While women contribute a larger portion of total spend, men tend to have a slightly higher average spend per transaction, a pattern that has remained consistent over the past 24 months.

Category-level insights reveal further shifts in spending behaviour. Women increased their spend on air travel (+10.9%), signalling a strong appetite for travel and mobility-related purchases. Meanwhile, men’s investment in self-care continues to grow, with notable increases in grooming (+22.4%) and fitness (+12.7%). 

These trends suggest that brands targeting male audiences could see success by positioning premium self-care and wellness products, while travel brands and retailers can drive engagement by offering incentives that cater to female travellers’ evolving preferences.

3. The Age Factor

Spenders aged 35–44 remain a stalwart demographic, thanks to their steady purchasing power. Meanwhile, the younger 16–24 and 25–34 brackets show higher purchase frequency, even if total spend per trip is smaller. This pattern suggests that retailers with mobile-friendly or impulse-focused strategies will find a ready audience among younger shoppers, particularly if promotions are engaging and easy to redeem.

Key Takeaway: By catering to the 16–34 segment with on-the-go offers and by offering loyalty rewards or premium choices to the 35–44 bracket, retailers can build meaningful connections with multiple age groups.

4. Seasonal Momentum and Beyond

While December’s festivities have settled, the energy hasn’t entirely dissipated. Many consumers stepped into January and February with a ‘new year, new me’ mindset, focusing on categories like wellness, lifestyle, and home organisation. Data points to continued engagement, suggesting that retailers can tap into this enthusiasm with timely, seasonally relevant promotions.

Key Takeaway: Showcasing health, wellness, or organisational products can ignite consumer interest during the early months. Additionally, short-term ‘flashes’—or limited-time offers—help maintain excitement, bridging the gap until spring campaigns.

We help retailers deploy dynamic, seasonally aligned rewards that speak to evolving consumer mindsets, turning these into a prime opportunity to reinforce brand loyalty.

5. Shaping Your 2025 Strategy

Initial Q1 trends reinforce the importance of staying attuned to evolving consumer needs, particularly as inflation persists and shoppers become increasingly value-conscious. However, Airtime members continue to demonstrate spending resilience, with transactional data showing that their purchasing habits remain steady—less susceptible to seasonal fluctuations than the broader market.

Whether your brand is emphasising smaller, frequent deals for younger adults or bridging the gap in average spend between men and women, there are ample opportunities to personalise approaches and stand out.

Retailer Tips:

1. Small Yet Frequent Wins: Use micro-promotions or dynamic pricing that resonate with younger, often price-conscious shoppers.

1. Celebrate Everyday Spenders: Offer practical perks or bundles that support the 35–44 demographic’s busy lifestyle.

Gender-Specific Promotions: Encourage basket-size growth in female segments and highlight premium, higher-ticket items for male shoppers.

Closing Thoughts

Even in the face of inflation, consumers are balancing needs and wants in ways that can keep the marketplace dynamic. By tuning in to changes across gender and age brackets—and tapping into timely themes—brands can foster trust, repeat business, and a stronger foothold in the new year.

We collaborate closely with our retail partners to translate these insights into tailored marketing strategies that drive genuine engagement. Our data-driven approach ensures that each offer resonates with the right audiences at the right moments.

We’d love to chat about how we’re helping retail brands unlock fresh potential all year round. Reach out to one of our retail specialists or sales consultants to explore how these insights and strategies might apply to your business and customers.

*Insights derived from an aggregated, anonymised panel of 60,000 consumers in the UK. Figures are trend indicators only and do not represent any specific merchant data.