In February, there was significant growth in online activity, with sessions up by 12% year-over-year (YOY), indicating increased traffic to the platform. Additionally, orders surged by 19% YOY, reflecting a substantial rise in purchases made through the website or service. Moreover, demand saw a remarkable increase of 23% YOY, indicating heightened interest and consumer engagement with the products or services offered. With February coinciding with the start of tax season in many regions, the surge in online activity towards the end of February may also be attributed to consumers seeking everyday purchases, paying off debt, home improvement and vacations. This presents an opportunity for targeted marketing efforts tailored towards addressing tax-related needs and offering relevant solutions. Leveraging this seasonal trend, businesses can further capitalize on the increased demand and drive engagement through strategic promotions and messaging.

The federal government shutdown that started Oct. 1 is just the latest in a host of challenges, along with tariffs, inflation and signs of economic weakness, that are bedeviling businesses as 2025 winds down. This makes smaller retailers — which lack the financial buffer most big chains have — especially vulnerable as the holidays approach. “Everyone loves shouting about shopping small or local, especially during the holiday season, but this year, small businesses are heading into their busiest period with a level of uncertainty they haven’t faced before,” said Jacob Bennett, co-founder and CEO of Crux Analytics, which works with small businesses and their banks. Summer ended sluggishly for the sector, according to the Fiserv Small Business Index for September, which leverages transaction data from more than 2 million U.S. small businesses across the country: Adjusted for inflation, retail sales dropped 1.4% year over year. Foot traffic is solid, but average basket size is down, according to Mike Spriggs, head of consumer insights at Fiserv. “That tells us the American consumer is still engaged — just price-aware and promotion-sensitive,” Spriggs said by email. Then there is the shutdown, which disrupted the loan program at the Small Business Administration — both access to new loans and management of existing ones. Among other consequences, this could disrupt inventory management, which has already been roiled by tariffs.

Marketers are really starting to look at how millennials respond to marketing. In a recent study conducted by DigitasLBi, Razorfish, Tumblr, and Yahoo, millennials will have a cumulative $1.4 trillion in spending power by 2020. Therefore marketers need to be paying attention to this group of people. Since they are known as digital natives many people have felt that direct mail was not a good way to reach them. However, this has shown itself to be untrue, millennials like getting mail. How can direct mail appeal to millennials? Authenticity: All the messaging and imagery on your direct mail pieces need to be authentic and in sync with your brand. Accessibility: How easy is it for someone to reach you? How many ways to respond to your direct mail are there? Human Appeal: Create a sense of connection with each individual with not only personalization but through emotion. Social Awareness: Show case all the good things your company is doing for social causes. Technology: Since this group is very digital savvy, make sure that you are including technology in your direct mail.