Holiday sales expectations are high this year, with more than 70 percent of businesses in Asia Pacific, including the Philippines and over 80 percent of European businesses anticipating growth, according to a survey by Federal Express Corp. (FedEx), one of the world’s largest express transportation companies.
Conducted in September 2025, the survey gathered insights from 850 small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) and 850 consumers across 13 APAC markets, along with over 1,200 SMEs across nine European markets. It examines business expectations for the holiday gifting season and highlights customer preferences and concerns.
The findings reveal strong optimism, with over 70 percent of APAC businesses and over 80 percent of European businesses expecting better holiday sales compared to last year.
APAC businesses are already gearing up for robust cross-border demand from Europe during the year-end shopping season, with many beginning preparations as early as September.
Cross-border e-commerce and major online shopping festivals continue to fuel demand. This year, 88 percent of APAC consumers plan to conduct at least a quarter of their holiday shopping online, and 53 percent intend to increase their online activity compared to last year. Shopping festivals such as Double 11, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday are especially influential, with 83 percent of Asian shoppers factoring these events into their holiday purchase planning.
SMEs are adjusting their strategies accordingly, with 91% of APAC businesses and 83% of European businesses viewing e-commerce shopping festivals as critical for capturing seasonal demand.
While appetite for European goods is strong among APAC shoppers, more product choices, competitive delivery speed, and costs remain top of mind. Nearly nine in ten APAC shoppers say efficient shipping is essential when purchasing holiday gifts online.
However, delayed deliveries (55 percent) and elevated shipping costs (45 percent) are the primary pain points from previous seasons, underscoring the need for e-tailers to optimize logistics performance and customer experience.
These concerns directly impact purchasing decisions. More than half of APAC consumers indicate that lower shipping costs (53%) and faster delivery times (50 percent) would increase their likelihood of buying from European sellers.
Businesses in both regions are stepping up to meet rising customer expectations. Nearly one-third of APAC (29 percent) and European (33 percent) businesses are enhancing their fulfillment and delivery operations to better support cross-border demand, while over one-third (34 percent) of APAC and (32 percent) of European firms are strengthening their customer service capabilities. Encouragingly, 85 percent of businesses in both APAC and Europe say they are confident about meeting delivery deadlines during this year’s holiday season.
“In Asia Pacific, the festive gifting season stretches well beyond Christmas and into Lunar New Year, creating one of the world’s most dynamic windows for cross-border commerce,” Salil Chari, senior vice president, Marketing and Customer Experience, FedEx Asia Pacific said.
“With e-commerce surging across APAC and Europe, e-tailers are gearing up to maximize sales. Through our extensive network and smart, intuitive digital solutions, we’re helping businesses on both sides deliver exceptional customer experiences, streamline logistics particularly during the business holiday season, and succeed in an increasingly competitive landscape,” he said.
Maribeth Espinosa, managing director, FedEx Philippines said the Philippines celebrates one of the world’s longest holiday seasons, from September through the New Year—a period that, combined with our fast-growing e-commerce ecosystem, creates tremendous opportunities for cross-border trade.
“More Filipino MSMEs and e-tailers are connecting with international customers, while local shoppers increasingly embrace global purchases. At FedEx, we’re committed to fuelling this growth by helping businesses expand globally and ensuring shipments arrive on time for every celebration,” she said.
The company’s comprehensive e-commerce solutions support e-tailers in streamlining order fulfillment. The company has integrated its Ship Manager platform, with leading e-commerce marketplaces such as Shopify and BigCommerce, enabling APAC e-tailers to create shipments and manage paperwork directly from their online orders. These easy-to-use, friction-free services are crucial for e-commerce merchants, especially during the busy holiday season when order volumes increase significantly.
To meet rising expectations for speed and reliability, e-commerce shipping services such as FedEx International Connect Plus (FICP) help merchants ship within Asia Pacific as well as to the US and Europe.
The cost-effective international solution typically delivers most shipments within one to three business days, aligning closely with consumer demand for fast delivery.
