In yet another year of one of the most anticipated seasons on the calendar, Christmas confirms the consolidation of an increasingly ‘phygital' consumer journey,‘phygital’, where digital stimuli and physical experience complement each other in the purchasing decision. The date, considered the most important for retail and one that brings together various consumption trends, increasingly presents an informed and demanding consumer in search of new experiences.
For Caroline Ferrari, Director of Corporate New Business at Octopus, an advertising agency, this year's Christmas highlights the maturity of omnichannel in Brazilian retail. The consumer moves between the click and the physical without perceiving barriers, finding convenience, comparison, and influence in the digital sphere, and trust, immediacy, and the experience the season provides at the point of sale.
“Digital advertising has become the trigger of intent. The customer is impacted, browses, compares prices, and only then completes the purchase, whether online or in person. The role of communication is to ensure this journey is continuous and frictionless,” she comments. According to the professional, the convergence between this digital stimulus and physical experience is what should drive retail performance this year-end.
This consumer navigation between digital and physical was also recently presented in the Consumer Insights 2025, research by UOL, which points out that the internet remains a central element in forming intent, with 41% of consumers stating that ads on websites and portals directly influence their choice process, while 39% acknowledge that these environments determine which brands or stores make it onto their list of possibilities. The data reinforces the strategic role of digital advertising as the starting point of this journey, which begins with online impact and research but unfolds across multiple channels, marketplaces, proprietary e-commerce sites, physical stores, and especially shopping centers.
“The major challenge also lies in consumer attention, requiring campaigns capable of uniting creativity, data, and efficiency. Digital takes the lead in the discovery phase, while shopping centers and marketplaces strengthen as conversion environments, each fulfilling a complementary role in the purchasing ecosystem,” Ferrari adds.
Caroline highlights that the major trends for this Christmas and the next important dates on the retail calendar boil down to mature omnichannel, digital media as the foundation of discovery, increased competition for attention, shopping centers and marketplaces that complement journeys, and pressure for efficiency.
“This year's Christmas is not about where the consumer buys, but about how they move between channels. Brands that understand this fluid journey will capture market share and brand value simultaneously,” concludes the expert.
