The Weekly 10: marketing, media and industry statistics to know now — December 3, 2025 edition

From Black Friday store traffic this year to the impact of the U.S. penny shortage on retailers, these are the data points we’re paying attention to right now.

The year-over-year increase in U.S. brick-and-mortar traffic on Black Friday (Nov. 28), according to a new report from Passby, which analyzed 53 million store visits. Department stores saw the largest gains (up 7.9% on average) while health and personal care (including beauty) specialty retailers experienced drop-offs (down 7.7%).

The U.S. online sales total during Cyber Week (Nov. 25 to Dec. 1), an increase of 5% versus last year, per Salesforce data. Globally, online sales grew 7% during the same period, reaching $336.6 billion.

The share of consumers who say “clearer and more concise information” from brands would make owned digital channels (e.g. email, websites, apps) more engaging, according to new research from Broadridge, which surveyed 4,018 adults in the U.S. and Canada.

The share of holiday shoppers who say that ad retargeting has “spoiled a surprise gift,” according to a new global GumGum survey of 3,000 adults.

The share of U.S. adult consumers who say holiday catalog shopping is more relaxing than scrolling online, according to new research conducted by The Harris Poll and presented by Quad.

The number of legacy agency brands (FCB, DDB and MullenLowe) that are being retired as part of Omnicom’s takeover of Interpublic Group.

The share of Federal Reserve Bank coin sites still fulfilling orders for pennies as of Dec 2. (The United States Mint officially discontinued pennies on Nov. 12.) Due to sudden shortages, many retailers have started rounding transactions to the nearest nickel — a practice that’s “costing businesses millions of dollars,” according to the Retail Industry Leaders Association, which in a new survey finds that two-thirds of retailers are rounding down. The National Association of Convenience Stores also notes that rounding may technically be prohibited “in some states and localities.”

The share of U.S. sell-side retail media leaders who say they’re actively investing in or exploring enhancements to their in-store retail media offerings, according to new research by eMarketer and Bain & Company.

The number of food manufacturers named in a new lawsuit filed by San Francisco’s city attorney, as The New York Times reports. The suit — in which the city alleges brands owned by The Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo, General Mills, Mondelēz and others engaged in “unfair and deceptive” marketing and sales practices around “ultraprocessed” foods — is the first of its kind in the U.S., according to the Times.

The share of U.S. adults who believe brands should be primarily responsible for ensuring children aren’t targeted by ads for “unhealthy food and drink products,” according to a new YouGov survey. Notably, 50% think this responsibility ultimately lies with parents or guardians, while 15% believe ad industry regulatory groups are most accountable.