Fashion during the festive season in the Netherlands: expanding challengers gain ground in a competitive Christmas market

The festive season remains one of the most decisive periods for fashion retailers.
Between 17 November 2025 and 4 January 2026, Dutch shoppers visited fashion stores in large numbers — not only around Black Friday, but throughout the gifting and holiday period.

Using Accurat’s AI-powered market research, this behavioural analysis compares the full Christmas season with the same weeks last year. Thanks to Accurat’s always-on measurement approach, this type of analysis can be delivered shortly after the retail period has ended, giving brands rapid insight into what changed, where momentum shifted, and how different shopper audiences distributed their visits across the leading fashion retailers included in this study.

What this tells us about festive shopping behaviour

The festive period remains a critical moment for fashion retailers, with measurable shifts in visit distribution across brands and shopper segments compared with last year’s season. At the same time, the momentum of brands expanding their physical presence highlights how store networks and local accessibility continue to play an important role in festive shopping behaviour.