As we approach Thanksgiving 2025, online and offline retailers alike face a unique convergence of opportunity and challenge. Consumers remain deal-hungry, mobile shopping is dominant, and payment friction can make or break conversions. For e-commerce businesses, especially those scaling or white-labelling card-issuing/payment solutions (such as through partners like TCB Pay), now’s the time to sharpen strategy.

What the data shows

• U.S. holiday online sales (Nov 1 to Dec 31 2025) are forecast at $253.4 billion, representing ~5.3% year-over-year growth. (Adobe Newsroom)

• Of that online spend, roughly 56.1% will come from mobile devices (~$142.7 billion). (Digital Commerce 360)

• On Thanksgiving Day itself, online spending is estimated at $6.4 billion, up ~4.9 % YoY. (Adobe Newsroom)

• In 2024, online Thanksgiving sales reached ~$6.1 billion (an 8.8% increase vs previous year). (Forbes)

• Among consumers, 68% indicated they planned to shop online during Thanksgiving 2024. 

Implications:

• The holiday window remains highly lucrative for e-commerce.

• Mobile optimisation is non-negotiable.

• Payment experience is critical: friction kills conversions.

• Competition is fierce; omnichannel and early-bird promotions matter.

5 e-Commerce Strategies for a Strong Thanksgiving Run

Here are actionable areas to focus on:

a) Start early and extend the window

While Thanksgiving day gets attention, shoppers are increasingly buying well before and after. One trend note: consumers now spread their spending across eight-to-ten weeks. (tcf.team)
Action: Launch pre-Thanksgiving teasers and promotions, then sustain through Cyber Monday and beyond.

b) Optimise for mobile & speed

With ~56%+ of holiday online spend coming from mobile devices, your site/execution must be mobile-first: fast checkout, simplified UX, responsive design. (BigCommerce)
Action: Audit mobile conversion flow, minimise steps, test device variants, integrate one-click or wallet payments.

c) Streamline payments & offer flexibility

Payment friction is one of the biggest drop-off points. Working with a payment provider that can support seamless checkout, multi-gateway, alternative payment methods (APMs) and card-issuing for loyalty or branded cards matters. For e-commerce merchants looking to white-label card programs (for example via TCB Pay), this window is ideal to tie branded cards, loyalty offers and seamless payments into promotional campaigns.
Action: Set up branded card campaigns, ensure high-conversion checkout, support BNPL (buy now, pay later) options. For example, BNPL is expected to drive ~$20.2 billion in U.S. holiday online spend in 2025. (Digital Commerce 360)

d) Leverage data and urgency

Shoppers respond to promotions, count-downs, limited-time offers and loyalty incentives. The data shows that ~57% of shoppers say they buy during Thanksgiving weekend because “the deals are too good to pass up”. 

Action: Use real-time analytics to segment high-intent users, deploy flash deals, utilise push notifications and email for urgency.

e) Manage inventory, fulfilment and returns

With greater online shopping comes increased returns. According to advisory data, return rates are growing, which impacts margins and logistics. Investopedia
Action: Forecast demand based on previous campaigns, ensure inventory visibility, communicate clear shipping/return policies to reduce customer anxiety.

How Payment Infrastructure Enhances the Game

For brands and merchants, payment isn’t just a plumbing tool, it’s a strategic lever. Here’s how aligning with a provider like TCB Pay can elevate your Thanksgiving performance:

• Branded Card Programs: Use co-branded or merchant-branded cards to drive loyalty and repeat purchases. Customers receiving a card (physical or virtual) post-holiday may remain active.

• Seamless Checkout: A unified checkout that supports card-on-file, mobile-wallets, one-tap pay and BNPL reduces abandonment.

• Fraud & Risk Management: Higher volumes during holiday windows attract fraud. Integrating a payment partner with strong risk-prevention capabilities helps protect revenue.

• API Integrations for Merchants: For multi-channel or platform merchants (marketplaces, direct D2C, pop-up retail), flexible payment APIs enable rapid campaign launches, segmented offers and customised onboarding.

• Loyalty & Rewards Incentives: Issuing cards that automatically accumulate points or cashback tied to holiday spend can boost basket size and repeat rate.

Key SEO Keywords & Phrases to Use

To help search visibility and context in your content, consider weaving in these keywords:

• Thanksgiving e-commerce tips

• mobile holiday shopping 2025

• online payments optimisation for retailers

• branded corporate cards for merchants

• BNPL holiday spending 2025

• checkout conversion rate strategies

• fraud prevention holiday e-commerce

Thanksgiving isn’t just a feast, it marks the start of a high-stakes shopping window where digital commerce, payments infrastructure and consumer behaviour collide. By combining a mobile-first mindset, data-driven promotions, strong payment architecture (including card-issuing options via partners like TCB Pay) and operational readiness, merchants can maximise holiday performance and build momentum into Q4 and beyond.