We survived. The Black Friday / Cyber Monday (BFCM) chaos is behind us.
Now that the dust has settled, we’re looking at the data from Tuesday, Dec 2nd – Sunday, Dec 7th. This period—often called the "Cyber Week Hangover"—is critical for understanding how the market stabilizes before the final shipping cutoff push.
Here is exactly what we are seeing across the board.
1. The Post-Holiday "Cool Down" (Dec 2 – Dec 7)
As expected, the frantic buying pressure released the moment Cyber Monday ended. The data for this past week shows a distinct shift in consumer behavior: Window Shopping Mode.
While users are still browsing heavily, the urgency to purchase dropped significantly compared to the peak holiday sales days.
Costs Are Coming Down:
CPM: $23.48 (📉 Down 11.1% from the previous 6 days).
CPC: $1.25 (📉 Down 15.0% from the previous 6 days).
Takeaway: Competition pulled back immediately after Monday, offering cheaper traffic.
Engagement vs. Conversion:
CTR: 1.88% (📈 Up 4.6%). People are clicking more now than they did during the sales frenzy.
Conversion Rate: 0.94% (📉 Down 44.7%). This is the "hangover." The high-intent buyers made their moves last week.
2. Year-Over-Year: The 3-Year Trend
How does this December compare to the last two years? When we zoom out to look at the macro trends for November and December (2023 vs. 2024 vs. 2025), the story changes.
While the weekly trend is cooling off, the yearly trend shows that 2025 is the most expensive—and highest engaging—holiday season yet.
💸 The Cost of Attention (CPM) Advertising is significantly more expensive this year than in previous years. We are seeing a steep climb in December CPMs specifically.
November Average:
2023: $15.01
2024: $18.35
2025: $19.26
December Average:
2023: $13.73
2024: $18.68
2025: $25.03
🖱 Cost Per Click (CPC)
November Average:
2023: $0.96
2024: $1.02
2025: $1.04
December Average:
2023: $0.87
2024: $1.10
2025: $1.36
🎯 Click-Through Rate (CTR) Despite rising costs, users are clicking more this December compared to previous years.
November Average:
2023: 1.56%
2024: 1.80%
2025: 1.86%
December Average:
2023: 1.57%
2024: 1.70%
2025: 1.84%
🛒 Conversion Rate (CVR)
November Average:
2023: 0.96%
2024: 0.74%
2025: 0.98%
December Average:
2023: 0.90%
2024: 0.99%
2025: 1.13%
3. The Efficiency Snapshot (Dec 2 – Dec 7)
Looking strictly at efficiency metrics for the post-holiday week, we see a clear picture of high engagement but lower purchase intent. While it is cheaper to get in front of customers right now, they are hesitant to pull the trigger compared to last week.
Here is the efficiency breakdown for the last 6 days:
CPM (Cost)
Current: $23.48
Trend: 📉 Down 11.1% vs last week | 📈 Up 4.3% vs last year
CTR (Engagement)
Current: 1.88%
Trend: 📈 Up 4.6% vs last week | 📈 Up 11.3% vs last year
CVR (Conversion)
Current: 0.94%
Trend: 📉 Down 44.7% vs last week | 📉 Down 1.1% vs last year
The Strategy: Even though conversion rates dipped week-over-week (the post-cyber slump), the year-over-year data suggests intent is still incredibly strong. With CPMs dipping briefly before the final "Shipping Cutoff" spike, now is the time to capture that high-intent traffic while the Click-Through Rates remain at record highs.
Let's finish the year strong.