How Christmas 2025 Really Felt In Retail (and why that matters for 2026)

Ever wondered what Christmas really felt like at the sharp end of retail—and what it’s whispering about your 2026 playbook?

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I’m Catherine Erdly, and welcome to this festive edition of the Resilient Retail Game Plan—your product business advice, with a side of reality.

This isn’t a spreadsheet post-mortem, it’s an honest (sometimes wry) look at how Christmas truly landed for independent retailers.

After 25 years in retail, I know December isn’t just numbers, it’s stories, triumphs and warnings we need to catch while they’re fresh—because come January, all that noise gets buried under new-year resolutions and stocktakes.

In this episode, I’ll invite you, not just to audit your cash flow for retailers or nit-pick inventory management, but to actually feel your festive season.

Think: one sentence gut-checks, inspiration scavenger hunts, and surprisingly useful lessons from your own inbox, shopping habits and the businesses that quietly wowed you.