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The 2025 holiday shopping season has set remarkable records, with e-commerce emerging as the undisputed winner in retail's most critical quarter. Cyber Monday 2025 became the largest online shopping day in history, generating $14.25 billion in sales, up 7.1% year over year. Black Friday online sales reached $11.8 billion, marking an impressive 9.1% growth, while the five-day Cyber Week period delivered $44.2 billion in total online spending, up 7.7% from 2024. These stellar results position 2025 as the first quarter-trillion-dollar holiday season, with total online sales projected to hit $253.4 billion from November through December.
The e-commerce boom has created unprecedented opportunities for logistics companies navigating peak season demands. FedEx FDX and Amazon AMZN each experienced 5-8% volume increases during the 2025 holiday season, handling an estimated 2.3 billion packages. Delivery performance remained exceptional, with FedEx achieving 98.3% on-time rates, UPS at 98.9%, and USPS at 97.2% during the crucial Cyber Week period. Amazon's logistics network, now handling delivery volumes comparable to traditional carriers, has fundamentally reshaped last-mile delivery expectations with same-day and next-day services becoming standard offerings.
Several transformative trends suggest strong continued growth heading into 2026. Mobile commerce dominated the 2025 holiday season, accounting for 57.5% of Cyber Monday purchases, while artificial intelligence influenced $9.3 billion in global online sales. A FedEx survey from November 2025 found that 97% of large U.S. retailers now employ AI tools for personalization, inventory management, and customer service.
Looking ahead, 98% of global e-commerce brands forecast international order volume growth in 2026, with the worldwide e-commerce market expected to reach approximately $7 trillion. Key 2026 priorities include improving delivery speed, expanding into new markets, and reducing fulfillment costs while leveraging AI for logistics optimization. As brands invest in cross-border capabilities and automated fulfillment systems, the e-commerce ecosystem appears poised for sustained expansion throughout 2026.
Investors seeking exposure to the e-commerce expansion can consider several compelling opportunities. Expedia EXPE, GigaCloud Technology GCT, Fiverr International FVRR and Amazon represent stocks positioned to capitalize on the 2026 e-commerce boom following the robust holiday season. Each company carries a Zacks Rank of either 1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Market performance over the past six months has been notably strong for three of these names, with GigaCloud Technology leading gains at 120.1%, followed by Expedia's impressive 73.2% advance and Amazon's solid 8.1% return. While Fiverr International declined 31.5% during the same period, the company is likely to benefit from potential upside as the digital services marketplace positions itself for the anticipated 2026 e-commerce acceleration, driven by increased online business activity and cross-border commerce expansion.
Expedia represents a compelling buy for 2026 following strong third-quarter 2025 results, which beat estimates with $7.57 adjusted EPS and 12% gross bookings growth. The company raised full-year 2025 guidance to 7% bookings growth and doubled EBITDA margin expansion projections to 200 basis points, demonstrating operational excellence. Expedia's December 2025 acquisition of Tiqets strengthens its B2B segment, which delivered its 17th consecutive quarter of double-digit growth at 26%. With AI integration enhancing efficiency, hotel bookings surging 15%, and room nights growing 11%, this Zacks Rank #1 company's diversified platform positions it to capitalize on robust travel demand and expanding profit margins throughout 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for EXPE’s 2026 earnings has moved north by 9.2% to $18.23 per share over the past 60 days.
Expedia Group, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Expedia Group, Inc. Quote
GigaCloud Technology represents a compelling 2026 investment opportunity driven by strategic infrastructure expansion and proven execution. The company's December 2025 announcement of a 617,000-square-foot New Jersey fulfillment center, its largest, strengthens capacity to support accelerating marketplace volumes. Additionally, the $18 million acquisition of New Classic Home Furnishings, finalized in December, enhances domestic distribution capabilities. With a robust balance sheet holding $366.6 million in cash and marketplace GMV exceeding $10 billion annually, GigaCloud's proprietary Supplier Fulfilled Retailing model delivers sustainable competitive advantages. This Zacks Rank #1 company remains exceptionally positioned to capitalize on the booming cross-border B2B e-commerce expansion throughout 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GCT’s 2026 earnings has moved north by 9.4% to $3.50 per share over the past 60 days.
GigaCloud Technology Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | GigaCloud Technology Inc. Quote
Fiverr International presents a buy opportunity in 2026 despite recent share price weakness. The company's December 2025 Business Trends Index revealed surging demand for AI-driven services, with searches for AI video creators jumping 66% and faceless YouTube creators soaring 488% over six months. Fiverr reported record third-quarter 2025 adjusted EBITDA of $24.2 million with a 22.4% margin, demonstrating strong profitability momentum. The platform's AI-powered tools, including Dynamic Matching and Neo, are enhancing marketplace efficiency while services revenues grew 84% year over year. With the global freelance economy expanding and businesses increasingly adopting AI-enhanced workflows, this Zacks Rank #1 company's strategic positioning makes it an attractive 2026 e-commerce growth play. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for FVRR’s 2026 earnings has moved north by 8.2% to $3.05 per share over the past 60 days.
Fiverr International price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Fiverr International Quote
Amazon represents a compelling 2026 investment opportunity following transformative December 2025 announcements. The company unveiled its ambitious $35 billion India expansion plan through 2030, positioning for explosive growth in one of the world's largest digital markets. In early December, Amazon launched its Nova 2 AI model family, Trainium3 UltraServers delivering 4x performance improvements, and frontier autonomous agents capable of multi-day workflows. Amazon Business reached $35 billion in annualized sales, while discussions with OpenAI suggest a potential $10 billion+ investment commitment. With AWS revenues growing 20% and Amazon's logistics dominance cementing its e-commerce leadership during the record $253 billion 2025 holiday season, this Zacks Rank #2 company's diversified ecosystem positions it strongly for continued expansion in cloud computing, AI infrastructure, and digital commerce throughout 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AMZN’s 2026 earnings has moved north by 2.3% to $7.84 per share over the past 60 days.
Amazon.com, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Amazon.com, Inc. Quote
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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