As the year-end festive season approaches, FedEx has released insights from a survey exploring holiday shopping trends among businesses and consumers across Asia Pacific (APAC) and Europe. Conducted in September 2025, the survey gathered input from 850 consumers and 850 small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) across 13 APAC markets, along with over 1,200 European SMEs.
The findings show strong optimism for the holiday season, with over 70% of APAC businesses and 80% of European businesses expecting better sales than last year. APAC companies are preparing for robust cross-border demand from Europe, with e-commerce and online shopping festivals such as Double 11, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday playing a key role. About 88% of APAC consumers plan to conduct at least a quarter of their holiday shopping online, and 53% expect to increase their online activity this year.
Speed and affordability remain top priorities. Nearly nine in ten APAC shoppers say efficient shipping is essential, while delayed deliveries and high shipping costs were major pain points last season. Over half of consumers indicate that faster delivery and lower shipping fees would boost purchases from European sellers. In response, many SMEs are enhancing fulfillment, delivery operations, and customer service, with 85% confident in meeting delivery deadlines.
“Festive seasons in APAC extend beyond Christmas into Lunar New Year, creating one of the world’s most dynamic windows for cross-border commerce,” said Salil Chari, SVP, FedEx Asia Pacific. In the Philippines, Maribeth Espinosa, Managing Director of FedEx Philippines, noted that long holiday periods and a growing e-commerce ecosystem present vast opportunities for local MSMEs to reach international customers.
FedEx supports this growth through digital logistics solutions, integrated e-commerce platforms, and fast, reliable shipping services like FedEx® International Connect Plus, along with smart lockers and tracking tools that ensure a seamless customer experience.
