Rich Communication Services (RCS) will be the fastest-growing channel in 2025, with volumes rising 161% on Black Friday and 269% on Cyber Monday worldwide. SMS remains the leading retail channel with nearly 2.7 billion interactions.

In the US, more than 1.9 billion SMS messages are expected, while RCS volumes surge to over 57 million, a dramatic increase from 2024. WhatsApp engagement is up 44%, and email volumes rise more than 50% on Cyber Monday. US consumers surveyed by Infobip plan to spend mainly between $250 and $1,000 on Black Friday.

Across Europe, RCS volumes are expected to grow more than sixfold on Black Friday and fivefold on Cyber Monday, with WhatsApp nearly tripling. Email usage surges over 50%, supported by a 37% increase in SMS on Black Friday. UK consumers mostly plan Black Friday spending under pound250, with many willing to spend up to pound1,000, indicating strong retail engagement and combined sales reaching several billion pounds. Similarly, consumers in Italy, Spain, and Germany generally plan moderate spending between EUR250 and EUR500, reinforcing a healthy but cautious retail outlook.

Email remains the dominant channel for promotions and confirmations in Europe, with Southern markets favoring SMS, and Northern markets showing growing openness to richer chat formats.

"Black Friday and Cyber Monday have evolved from single-day events into month-long conversations,"said Ben Lewis, Vice President of Marketing & Growth at Infobip."With Apple adopting RCS and brands focusing on hyper-personalized experiences, AI-powered conversational commerce is transforming retailer-consumer engagement."

Infobip's 2025 forecast underscores the growing impact of omni-channel communication in driving meaningful commerce.

Discover more shopping season insights here: https://www.infobip.com/blog/shopping-season-survey

About InfobipInfobip is a global cloud communications platform that enables businesses to build connected experiences across all stages of the customer journey.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251111964195/en/

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