| By Andy Swan Holiday shoppers spent aggressively this season, with Cyber Week sales jumping 8.2% to $41.1 billion. While spending was strong, consumers were focused on one thing: Hunting for maximum value. Major retailers slashed prices deeper than expected to capture those dollars – electronics reached peak discounts of 30% off listed prices, toys hit 26%, and apparel saw 23% markdowns. Even more telling? Consumers are getting smarter about finding these deals. Online shopping was the star of the season, with 9.5% e-commerce sales growth significantly outpacing the 3.7% growth in total retail sales: 
Source: eMarketer But it was mobile platforms that dominated, capturing 57% of all online sales. Mobile overtook desktop and other platforms to account for the majority of the $131.5 billion spent so far, helped along by AI-powered shopping assistants that drove an incredible 1,950% surge in retail site traffic. 
Source: Adobe Analytics This concentrated burst of holiday spending, matched with consumers' increasingly sophisticated deal-hunting behavior, creates a compelling setup for the coming earnings season. And the retailers prioritizing digital strategies, investing in mobile experiences, and providing a seamless transition between online and in-store shopping are best positioned to ride these tailwinds. For investors looking to capitalize on all this spending, LikeFolio’s proprietary consumer insights will be critical. Our digital and mobile site data, alongside consumer search trends, will be more revealing than ever in identifying the companies uniquely positioned to convert this high-intent shopping traffic into revenue growth. In fact, we’ve zeroed in on three names across the apparel, entertainment, and electronics sectors whose mobile-friendly platforms and high-value brand perception are proving particularly effective at capturing value-conscious consumers. Take a look… 3 Unexpected Holiday Winners to Watch in 2025 No. 1: The Apparel Outfitter with a Secret Weapon Up first is Urban Outfitters (URBN), a multinational lifestyle-oriented retail chain that targets young adults. It sells fashionable clothing, footwear, beauty and wellness products, housewares, and vinyl records under the Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, and Free People brands. Urban’s non-namesake banners are driving strong earnings for the company – last quarter, core sales rose 6% to a record $1.36 billion, led by Free People’s 10% gain. But its secret weapon is its rapidly growing women’s apparel subscription rental service, Nuuly. 
Source: nuuly.com Nuuly’s subscriber base surged 51% year over year to 297,000 in the third quarter, translating to an outsized 48% increase in net sales. The service allows customers to rent outfits for 30 days at a fraction of their retail value – offering a great deal for consumers. It’s resonating with budget-minded women looking to simultaneously limit new clothes spending and expand their wardrobe with company-owned, third-party, and one-of-a-kind vintage items. 
Nuuly isn’t URBN’s only success story. The company is delivering robust growth across its portfolio, as you can see below: 
But you’ll also notice Nuuly is leading by a long shot, logging an impressive 235% year-over-year increase in digital traffic. By tapping into the growing popularity of subscription-based fashion, Nuuly adds a fresh revenue stream to Urban Outfitters’ already powerful lineup. And LikeFolio web data suggests it could be the key to URBN’s next earnings surprise. To see the best time to buy (and sell) URBN this year – down to the exact date – check out TradeSmith’s breakthrough seasonality system, which they’ve opened up for you to use (free) for a limited time. Go here now, enter your email, follow their instructions, and search “URBN” to discover the very best time of the year to buy and sell this ticker. 
No. 2: The Entertainment Powerhouse Delivering Holiday Magic Everyone knows The Walt Disney Company (DIS), the global entertainment and media conglomerate that was founded 101 years ago as Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio. Today, it continues to bring families that "Disney magic" through popular animated films, TV shows, streaming media, theme parks, and cruises, making it a favorite for holiday shoppers and families seeking memorable experiences. Disney has perfected a consumer touch point "multiplier effect” that includes streaming, parks, cruise ships, and retail merchandise to make its movie business stronger than ever. Three of the five highest-grossing movies of 2024 fell under Disney’s content powerhouse, allowing it to hold 20% of the market share. Inside Out 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine shattered several box office records, driving $316 million in operating income. 
And with the highly anticipated release of Mufasa: The Lion King, it's well-positioned to dominate the entertainment industry once again in 2025. 
Disney grew its Disney+ streaming subscriber base to 174 million (an increase of 4.4 million over the prior quarter), and LikeFolio data suggests continued traction through the holidays: 
Its Experiences segment showed noted strength too, particularly as Disney Cruise Line benefits from a persistent consumer shift to memorable experiences over goods. With occupancy climbing to 97% in fiscal 2024, the segment has a strong return on investment profile stemming from high-quality, curated experiences and superior levels of guest satisfaction. Seasonal demand for Disney+ content, themed products, and vacation packages drives strong engagement and revenue opportunities during the holidays – and this season could be a standout. We can see the proof in in its subscriber growth, box office success, and strong travel demand. For the best times to buy DIS this year, be sure to give TradeSmith’s seasonality tool a spin here. No. 3: The Electronics Specialist Winning Back Consumers Audio equipment maker Sonos (SONO) may be the biggest surprise on this list, considering its botched app rollout in May 2024 that led to customer dissatisfaction, a decline in revenue, and a pullback in its stock price. The app overhaul, intended to enhance user experience, was rushed and insufficiently tested, resulting in missing features and functionality issues that disrupted user access to their music systems. However, after its reputation took a hit, the company announced seven new quality and customer experience commitments intended to deliver the world’s best wireless audio system and rebuild brand trust — including more stringent pre-launch testing, extended home speaker warranties, and the formation of a Customer Advisory Board. 
We see a recovery underway, suggesting Sonos’s premium lineup of wireless home audio systems, soundbars, and portable speakers were a top choice for holiday shoppers seeking high-quality audio gifts. Take a look at how consumer interest in Sonos’ products surged this holiday season: 
Source: Google Trends The company recently dropped Arc Ultra, a premium ($799-$999) soundbar with breakthrough Sound Motion technology that delivers 2x the bass and an unprecedented spatial audio experience for the home theater. In January 2025, the company will launch Era 100 Pro, its first professional installation solution, which is expected to make for faster custom audio system setups for installers and customers in the company’s newly entered $2 billion light commercial audio space. This increased consumer focus on home entertainment and gifting during the holiday season positions Sonos to capitalize on rising demand for smart and stylish audio solutions. And with its stock in oversold territory, Sonos' next earnings report could deliver a holiday surprise. The Bottom Line With strong online presences, top gifts, and improving LikeFolio metrics, we believe URBN, DIS, and SONO’s holiday performances could kick off 2025 with a bang. Thanks to our friends at TradeSmith, you can now find the best time to buy (and sell) each of these three tickers – down to the exact days – with a free trial run of their brand-new seasonality tool. They plan to unveil this breakthrough system in its entirety on January 8 at 10:00 a.m. ET. But you can try it now for yourself by registering here. Until next time,  Andy Swan
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