Holiday Shoppers Demand Value: Three Ways Radio Can Deliver.

Holiday spending may be headed for a record, but consumers aren't necessarily feeling flush. New research compiled by Katz Radio Group suggests broadcasters can capture more seasonal advertising revenue by helping businesses reach value-conscious shoppers at the right time, with the right message.

The National Retail Federation forecasts 4.2% growth in U.S. November-December retail sales, while Mastercard Economics Institute projects 5.5%. Much of that growth reflects higher prices rather than greater purchasing power.

Meanwhile, Morning Consult research cited by Katz finds 38% of consumers plan to spend less than last year vs. 16% expecting to spend more.

For radio, the opportunity isn’t simply selling more holiday advertising. It’s showing advertisers how to make their radio dollars work harder — and smarter.

Sell the Moment, Not Just the Season

Not all holiday shopping happens in stores. Adobe Analytics projects $275.1 billion in U.S. online sales for November and December, up 6.7% from 2025, and Cyber Week alone accounts for $47.5 billion of that, up 7.7%. Bain & Company expects Black Friday through Cyber Monday retail sales to exceed $85 billion. That’s a lot of holiday spending that never reaches a cash register. Radio campaigns focused solely on driving store traffic risk missing a sizable share of those sales.

Those concentrated buying periods give broadcasters an opening to move beyond traditional holiday packages.

Instead of selling December schedules alone, stations can build shorter campaigns around early promotions, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and last-minute shopping. Local retailers can also use radio to counter Amazon's promotional blitz with timely offers, hometown convenience and reasons to shop close to home.

Radio's competitive advantage is speed and flexibility. Stations can quickly adjust offers, creative and schedules as inventory, pricing and consumer demand change, giving local advertisers the ability to respond to competitors' promotions while the deal is still fresh.

Turn Local Trust Into Measurable Action

Radio's reach remains substantial. Katz cites two separate measurements, which is why the numbers differ slightly. Nielsen data covering all major media, including TV, smartphones and PC internet, shows AM/FM reaches 87% of adults weekly. A comparison of audio platforms alone puts AM/FM's weekly reach at 89%, well ahead of free or ad-supported streaming (40%), podcasts (27%) and satellite radio (21%).

But reach alone doesn't close the sale.

Katz's compilation also cites research showing radio advertising generates a 22% lift in store traffic and a 29% average increase in online search activity across categories.

The practical upside comes from pairing radio's local presence with customer responses advertisers can count.

Stations can combine timely offers, personality endorsements, dedicated landing pages, promotional codes and coordinated digital campaigns to help businesses track response.

Jacobs Media's 2026 Techsurvey finds 88% of respondents identify local feel as a primary radio advantage, and 73% say they feel connected to their station.

Follow the Consumer, Not Just the Retail Category

Traditional retailers aren't the only potential holiday advertisers.

Research compiled by Katz finds consumers are shifting spending "toward dining, entertainment and local experiences." Experiences show the highest increase in planned spending this year, at 17.3%. Restaurants, entertainment venues, attractions and local experiences are worth pitching alongside grocery, department stores and mass merchandisers.

As holiday shopping goes increasingly digital, radio has another card to play: turning trusted local voices into online discovery, engagement and sales.

Katz also cites Nielsen return-on-ad-spend research showing an average $17 return for each advertising dollar across selected retail categories.

The Bottom Line

The question isn't just which businesses buy radio. It's how stations help those businesses compete.

That means selling timely, locally relevant campaigns with results advertisers can measure — not merely airtime.

With online holiday sales expected to top $275 billion, the message is simple: Don't just drive shoppers to the store. Give them a reason to click — and an easy-to-remember way to get there.