The Holiday Gifting Playbook: Winning Share
in Toys and Consumer Electronics

Whether it’s the year’s must-have toy, a new gaming console, or upgraded home tech, Toys and Electronics are often top of mind for holiday shoppers. These are high-consideration purchases where consumers are actively researching deals, comparing retailers, and looking for the best value. To compete, brands need to show up early, show up often, and ensure a frictionless path to purchase across every touchpoint. In this section, we unpack the commerce trends influencing gifting behavior in 2025 and how your brand can capture a larger share of seasonal spend.

Purposeful Play and Collectibles Are Driving Toy Purchases

• According to Trend Hunter, toys that encourage creativity, emotional development, and sensory engagement, such as calming textures and interactive designs, are gaining popularity. At the same time, The Guardian reports that blind-box collectibles like Squishmallows and Pop Mart figures are seeing strong demand from both kids and adult collectors who value surprise, nostalgia, and limited-edition items.

Consumers Are Seeking Seamless and Connected Tech Experiences

• According to Consumer Reports, shoppers are prioritizing electronics that work effortlessly within their existing tech ecosystems. Products that offer cross-platform connectivity, compatibility with voice assistants, and centralized device control are increasingly in demand.

Energy Efficiency and Smart Features Are Top Priorities for Home Appliance Buyers

• According to Reuters, consumers are actively choosing home appliances that reduce utility costs through energy efficiency. Smart features such as app-based controls, air quality monitoring, and compact formats are also influencing purchasing decisions as shoppers look for sustainable and functional solutions.

*Measured by Purchase Intent Rate: The percentage of shoppers who opened a MikMak Commerce experience and then clicked through to at least one retailer

According to the MikMak Shopping Index, Toy and Consumer Electronics shoppers are showing slightly lower Purchase Intent this year than last. This shouldn’t be discouraging to marketers, though, as it could simply mean consumers need more time viewing a product before they decide to purchase. Embracing an omnichannel approach to your marketing strategy can help you reach consumers when they’re ready to buy.

Likewise, since the categories often require more research from the consumer, adopting a strong Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) strategy focused on optimizing content for visibility in AI-driven shopping experiences and generative models like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, could be the deciding factor for your consumer on their search for the perfect gift this holiday season.

Read more about optimizing your GEO strategy in our recent eBook. 

Toy and Consumer Electronics Brands Invest Mostly In Social; Display & Video Ads Have Risen in 2025

Toys, Consumer Electronics, and Media Mix by Traffic

According to the MikMak Shopping Index, Paid Social remains the top channel that brands are investing in, driving 91 percent of traffic (measured by Commerce Loads*). However, this is 5.3 percent less than in 2024. 

What channels is this traffic shifting to? The MikMak Shopping Index revealed that Paid Display (+3.2 percent), Paid Video (+2.2 percent) have both seen traffic increases compared to last year. 

Toy, Consumer Electronics, and Home Appliance Shoppers are Most Likely to Come From Media Displayed on Meta

Top Social Channel for Toy, Consumer Electronics, and Home Appliances: Meta

Brands in these high-intent categories see the most traffic on Meta, driving nearly 79.4 percent of Commerce Loads. In second, TikTok sees 16.4 percent, and YouTube sees 1.7%.

To ensure your brand invests in the right channels to reach your target consumers, keeping a close eye on real-time data can help your brand adjust its advertising spend to the channels that are most likely to convert.

US Toy and Consumer Electronics Shoppers are Most Likely to Check Out at Walmart

Top Retailer: Walmart

Purchase Intent Click: The number of times a shopper has clicked through to a retailer from a MikMak Commerce experience

For these top gifting categories, the MikMak Shopping Index has found Walmart is the preferred checkout option for US Toys and Consumer Electronics shoppers, driving 38.6 percent of Purchase Intent Clicks.

To succeed this holiday season and set your brand up for long-term growth, build for agility, intelligence, and scale. That means not only responding to today’s commerce trends but actively preparing for what’s next.

AI disruption, evolving consumer behavior, and media fragmentation are not short-term challenges. They are structural shifts that will define the next era of brand marketing.

So, what does it take to future-proof your brand?

1. Build an Always-On, Full-Funnel Marketing Strategy

Relying on bottom-funnel performance media is no longer enough. Brands must invest in upper-funnel efforts that bring new consumers into the pipeline while ensuring every moment of inspiration is instantly shoppable. This approach unlocks growth, even when lower-funnel conversions plateau.

2. Prioritize First-Party Data and Real-Time Optimization

Brands that win will act on real-time signals, not quarterly reports. Whether it's shifting shopper demand, a sudden platform change, or a geopolitical event like new tariffs, you need infrastructure that can detect and adapt in the moment. That’s why future-proof brands drive profitability and reduce costs by leveraging first-party data and analytics to improve marketing effectiveness throughout the holiday season.

3. Prepare for Agentic Shopping and AI-Led Media Planning

The rise of AI shopping agents means consumers may never even see your brand if your data isn’t structured, accessible, and relevant. Generative search will prioritize brands with strong product availability, rich metadata, and trusted presence. Ensure your product feeds, retailer integrations, and brand content are optimized now, because agentic commerce is here to stay.

4. Be Platform-Agnostic and Commerce-First

The media landscape will continue to fragment. From Meta and Google to Reddit, ChatGPT, and future platforms not yet on the radar, your brand must show up wherever consumers discover, consider, or convert. MikMak helps brands accelerate sales and grow market share by making every consumer touchpoint shoppable and equipping teams with the right consumer, channel, and retailer insights.

The path to success in 2025 and beyond will not be linear. But brands that embed flexibility, data-driven decision-making, and channel-agnostic commerce into their core strategies will be the ones that thrive this holiday season, in 2026, and far into the future.

For more information on what your brand can expect, and how your brand can plan for the rest of 2025 and beyond, check out our recent State of the Union video, where MikMak Founder and CEO, Rachel Tipograph further explains these trends.