📦 How Shopify, Lightspeed, and Magento are preparing for the biggest shopping season ever
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9 min reading time
The 2025 holiday season is in full swing. Singles Day is just behind us, with record global sales of $202.8 billion—a 26.6% increase over last year ( Syntun data ). With Black Friday just around the corner, it's clear how differently the major e-commerce platforms are approaching this crucial period.
The New Reality of Holiday Shopping
We live in a world where Singles' Day has completely eclipsed Black Friday. While Black Friday 2024 generated "only" $10.8 billion in online sales in the United States ( Adobe Analytics ), Singles' Day generated almost twenty times as much worldwide. Chinese platforms like Alibaba and JD.com reported over 20% growth in shoppers, while livestream e-commerce via platforms like Douyin grew by a whopping 54.6%.
These figures tell an important story. The traditional idea of one big shopping day is over. We're now in a three-month marathon session, with each platform pursuing its own strategy to guide merchants through this period.
Shopify: The Power of Mobile-First Thinking
Shopify achieved impressive results over the recent Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend. Its merchants generated $11.5 billion in sales—a 24% increase compared to 2023 ( Shopify News ). More than 76 million consumers worldwide visited a Shopify checkout.
What's particularly striking is their mobile-first approach. The numbers speak for themselves: 59% of all Thanksgiving sales occurred on mobile devices. At its absolute peak—12:01 PM ET on Black Friday—the platform processed $4.6 million per minute. Shop Pay, Shopify's native payment system, saw 58% year-over-year growth during BFCM 2024.
Stefan Lewis, Chief Digital Officer at fashion retailer Represent, puts it succinctly: "Black Friday can be nerve-wracking, but Shopify has always helped us in terms of increasing bandwidth, and we've never run into any issues with site speed." The platform has proven itself a reliable partner during the most hectic shopping moments.
For Singles' Day, Shopify offers specific support with dedicated email templates and tools that capitalize on the fact that 90% of Singles' Day purchases are made on mobile. Their focus on self-gifting—people buying for themselves—results in a higher average order value than during Black Friday. They also cleverly encourage merchants to start offering gift guides and early bird promotions as early as August.
Lightspeed: Trust through transparency
Lightspeed is taking a fundamentally different approach. Their recent research revealed a striking insight: 84% of shoppers believe retailers artificially inflate prices for Black Friday to make discounts appear bigger ( Lightspeed Black Friday Trust Crisis ). This distrust is consistent across all age groups—from 87% among 18-24 year-olds to 78% among those aged 65 and over.
CEO Dax Dasilva sees this as an opportunity instead of a problem: "Black Friday is still a make-or-break moment for retailers, but shopper behavior is shifting. Consumers are buying fast and deciding later, so it's up to retailers to guide that journey. The best way to do that is with clarity—showing what discounts really mean, being upfront about fit and product details, and keeping customers informed on delivery and stock. When shoppers feel confident, they buy smarter and return less. In a tight economy, transparency is the strongest. sales strategy retailers have."
This philosophy translates into concrete features. Lightspeed's data shows that 40% of customers return because of in-store loyalty rewards—proof that the connection between online and offline is crucial. Their mPOS systems eliminate queues during peak times, while the seamless integration between online and physical inventory prevents customer disappointment.
The platform addresses a growing need: 48% of shoppers prioritize free shipping, but also want the assurance that what they see online is actually available. Lightspeed's hybrid model—where consumers research in-store and buy online, or vice versa—is perfectly aligned with modern shopping behavior.
Magento: The Enterprise Powerhouse
Magento, now part of Adobe Commerce, serves a different segment of the market. While Shopify and Lightspeed focus on ease of use and omnichannel experiences, Magento focuses on enterprise retailers with complex needs.
Their merchants begin preparing as early as September—not out of luxury, but out of necessity. The technical checklist is extensive: server provisioning needs to be scaled for traffic peaks, SSL certificates need to be renewed, and extensive load testing is essential to identify bottlenecks. These are preparations that are largely automated on other platforms, but Magento offers the flexibility to configure exactly what an enterprise needs.
During BFCM, Magento's extension ecosystem comes to life. Developers are offering discounts of up to 40% on their extensions. Meetanshi is giving a 15% discount, Amasty is launching its Triple Sale, and FMEextensions is offering a 20% discount on all tools. These are extensions like Bulk Price Updater for mass price adjustments, Mass Order Processing for efficient order processing, and advanced countdown timers that create urgency.
For enterprise retailers requiring complex discount structures—think different prices per customer group, tiered discounts, or complicated bundle deals—Magento's catalog and cart pricing rules offer the necessary flexibility.
Cross-platform trends that affect everyone
Regardless of the platform, there are trends that no one can ignore. The dominance of Singles Day is one of them. With $202.8 billion in total revenue—77% of which comes from traditional e-commerce and 23% from livestreaming—it's no longer an Asian phenomenon. While Alibaba and Tmall remain the largest platforms with 92% of Chinese shoppers, Western retailers are increasingly discovering the power of 11/11.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday continue to grow impressively. Adobe Analytics reported for 2024 ( Adobe Holiday Shopping Report ): Thanksgiving generated $6.1 billion (up 8.8% year-over-year), Black Friday $10.8 billion (up 10.2%), with Cyber Monday expected to reach $13.3 billion. Mobile reached 59.5% of all online sales.
Another unstoppable trend: Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL). On Thanksgiving alone, $430 million was spent through BNPL services, a 10.3% year-over-year increase. Nearly a billion dollars was expected for Cyber Monday. BNPL now represents 9% of total holiday e-commerce sales.
AI is transforming the playing field
The role of artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly prominent. Recent research shows that 75% of consumers plan to use AI to find deals. For gift suggestions, 67% use AI tools, an increase from 54% in 2024. Approximately 19% of all purchases are now influenced by AI recommendations, while 83% of retailers use AI for shopping assistance.
These aren't futuristic scenarios anymore—they're happening now. Every platform is integrating AI in its own way. Shopify is building it into its core product, Lightspeed is using it for predictive analytics, and Magento offers it as an enterprise-grade solution through Adobe Sensei.
Lessons for Dutch online stores
International trends offer valuable lessons for the Dutch market. First, timing is everything. Shopify-Gallup research shows that 41% of shoppers start their holiday purchases as early as October. Dutch stores that don't launch their campaigns until November are missing a significant share of the market.
Mobile is no longer optional. With 59.5% of sales coming from mobile devices, a responsive website is the absolute minimum. But it goes further – one-click checkout solutions like Shop Pay make the difference between an impulse buy and an abandoned cart. On Christmas Day, mobile shopping even peaks at 65%, the highest percentage of the entire season.
The crisis of confidence that Lightspeed identified is a wake-up call. Dutch consumers are just as skeptical of fake discounts. Transparency about price history and honest communication about discounts are essential for sustainable success.
Singles Day remains a largely missed opportunity. With twenty times the global turnover of Black Friday, there's enormous potential for Dutch retailers who dare to experiment with this shopping day.
BNPL is growing by 10% annually and is increasingly becoming an expectation rather than a nice-to-have. Dutch online stores that don't yet offer this payment option are losing revenue.
Making the right platform choice
Each platform has its strengths, and the choice depends on your specific situation. Shopify excels in mobile commerce with the best conversion rates, ease of use thanks to plug-and-play apps, a solid infrastructure that doesn't crash during peak periods, and strong international sales capabilities.
Lightspeed differentiates itself with superior omnichannel integration, tools that promote transparency, a strong focus on local retail, and features that help build trust with skeptical consumers.
Magento remains the go-to solution for enterprise flexibility, complex B2B scenarios, extensive technical customization, and managing large product catalogs.
Looking ahead to the rest of 2025
The 2025 holiday season promises to break all records. Singles' Day has set the tone with explosive growth. Black Friday is just around the corner, with expectations higher than ever. Cyber Monday is increasingly becoming an extension of the weekend. And the period leading up to Christmas remains crucial for retailers worldwide.
The platforms continue to innovate. Shopify is investing heavily in AI and checkout optimization. Lightspeed is deepening its omnichannel capabilities. Magento/Adobe Commerce is pushing the boundaries of what's possible in enterprise e-commerce.
For merchants, the message is clear: holiday success requires more than just discounts and marketing. It requires the right platform that aligns with your business model, your customers, and your ambitions. The choice you make now will determine not only how you survive this holiday season, but how you grow in the years to come.
The season has begun. The question isn't whether you'll participate, but how prepared you are. Choose the strategy that best suits your platform, use the tools available, and most importantly – start today. Because as the data shows: in e-commerce, no one waits for no one.
Want to optimize your online store for the holidays? Syncer® helps with platform selection and strategy based on proven data and best practices. Contact us for advice based on facts and results.
