One Size Doesn’t Fit All: Winning Ad Campaigns A Matter Of Geography.

Retailers depend on promotional events to drive sales, whether it’s traditional campaigns like Black Friday and back-to-school sales or more specialized limited-time offers and pop-culture tie-ins. However, consumer preferences and behaviors differ widely by region, making it essential to customize campaigns for local markets.

That’s according to “Crafting Targeted Promotions in 2025: A Regional Perspective,” a new report from Placer.ai, which provides business location analytics insights. It takes a deep dive into how consumers are responding to major retail promotions. It explores broad regional trends as well as more localized market-level nuances.

Among some of the report’s key findings: The Midwest is the only region of the U.S. where Black Friday retail visits outpace Super Saturday, despite the fact that some big Midwest markets (Chicago and Detroit among them) actually see higher shopper turnout on Super Saturday; nationally, electronics stores see a slight uptick in median household income (HHI) in December, although in some markets electronics retailers like Best Buy actually see a drop in captured market median HHI during this period; and back-to-school shopping starts earliest for clothing and office supplies retailers in the South Central region, likely tied to earlier school schedules.

The report also finds that the share of college students among back-to-school shoppers varies by region. A year ago, “Collegians” made up the largest share of Target’s back-to-school shopping crowd in New England, and the smallest in the West.

Promotions designed to increase foot traffic during key holidays, like Black Friday and Super Saturday, are crucial to retail strategies across industries. According to the report, the day after Thanksgiving and the Saturday before Christmas are generally among in-store retail’s busiest days. In 2024, they generated foot traffic surges of 50.1% and 56.3%, respectively, compared to a 12-month daily average.

“But a closer look at regional data shows that these promotions land differently across the country,” the report explains. “In the Midwest, Black Friday outperformed Super Saturday last year, fueling the nation’s biggest post-Thanksgiving retail visit spike — a testament to the milestone’s strong local appeal. Meanwhile, in the Western U.S., Black Friday trailed well behind Super Saturday, though both milestones drove smaller upticks than in other regions. And in New England and the South Central states, Super Saturday achieved its biggest impact, suggesting that last-minute holiday specials may resonate especially well in that area.”

A closer look at major Midwestern cities reveals that holiday promotions can generate very different outcomes, even within the same region. In cities like St. Louis, Indianapolis, and Minneapolis, shoppers aligned with the broader Midwest trend — showing strong turnout for Black Friday but less interest in Super Saturday deals.

In contrast, Super Saturday outperformed Black Friday in Chicago and Detroit, with Chicago’s Black Friday participation falling below the national average of 50.1%. These examples underscore how local preferences can significantly influence the success of holiday campaigns, the report says.

Holiday promotions don’t just drive spikes in store visits, they also subtly reshape the demographics of in-store shoppers, often broadening a retailer’s audience during peak shopping periods, according to Placer.ai. These demographic shifts can, however, vary significantly by region.

For example, outlet malls, department stores, and beauty/self-care retailers, businesses that typically attract higher-income shoppers, tend to experience a slight decline in the median household income (HHI) of their customer base in December. This may reflect an influx of mid- and lower-income consumers drawn by holiday deals. In contrast, electronics stores and superstores, which usually serve a less affluent clientele, often see a modest rise in median HHI leading up to Christmas.

“Whether it’s properly timing holiday and back-to-school discounts, recognizing where Mother’s Day or Father’s Day will resonate more, or pinpointing markets that respond best to pop-culture tie-ins, the data reveals that effective promotions depend heavily on local nuances,” the report concludes. “And by analyzing regional and DMA-level trends, retailers and advertisers can craft compelling, relevant campaigns that heighten engagement where it matters most.”