Discount trends have changed quite a lot over the years. A lot of the time, it’s easy to see the correlation between discount trends and shopping habits as well.
Personalisation and Relevance
As time goes on, we are seeing more and more brands not only offer relevant discounts, but also more personalised ones. Trends like this help to reflect a broader movement in data-driven marketing, and they also help to support customer retention. Sainsbury’s, for example, have adopted a discount process that offers customisable prices for shoppers who use the Nectar app.
These discounts often reflect the products that the person has purchased recently, which not only helps to personalise the experience, it also really drives brand loyalty. As time goes on, more and more brands are also using targeted incentives that are tailored to where a customer might be in their journey. First-purchase discounts have become a staple when it comes to attracting new customers, with abandoned cart codes also increasing in 2025.
Many e-commerce websites, and in particular Etsy stores, offer discounts if you abandon your cart. Sellers can trigger this automatically after a period of time, showing how it’s not just big stores that are embracing this trend.
Some sites are offering advent calendars where people can return to open a door each day, which not only helps to personalise the experience, it also allows people to trigger the event at a time that suits them. Shifts like this not only allow brands to deliver timely, personalised offers, but they also encourage customers to stay loyal, which has been a huge driving factor in 2025.
Strategic Offerings and Free Shipping
Another trend we have seen dominate in 2025 is free shipping and strategic offerings. Free shipping is still one of the biggest incentives a business can offer, and it often outperforms other business discounts when you look at the overall conversion impact.
Customers still perceive free shipping to be more meaningful in terms of savings, with smaller purchases seeing the biggest difference overall. Bundle deals are also on the rise, but not in a traditional sense. Customers are showing more and more preferences for building their own bundles, and companies that offer this are seeing the biggest results.
Source: Pexels
Ladurée is a prime example here. They allow people to build their own macaron box, including the style of box that they would like to use, and which macarons they would like to include.
Trends like this show that discount codes are more than just single tools that can be used to access savings; they are assets that can be used to move people down the sales funnel. If used strategically, they can also be a very powerful way to personalise the service while making sure that brand loyalty is built along the way. With people seeking more personable and meaningful experiences when shopping with businesses in 2025, it wouldn’t be surprising to see this trend continue into 2026.
