If you’re a brand owner in the outdoor industry, you know the feeling of Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) all too well. It’s the summit push. You spend months acclimating at basecamp—prepping inventory, warming up email lists, and fine-tuning creative—hoping the weather holds for the final ascent.
Now that the powder has settled on the 4-day peak (November 28 - December 1), we have the data to tell the story. And the story of 2025 wasn’t about shouting the loudest; it was about climbing the smartest.
While general ecommerce benchmarks for 2025 hovered around a 3–6x ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) on platforms like Meta and Google, Akers Digital clients were playing a different game entirely. We saw portfolio-wide averages hitting 18x on Meta and 31x on Google.
Here is a look at what worked, what didn’t, and why efficiency was the ultimate flex this holiday season.
The 2025 Landscape: Intent Over Noise
According to early industry reports from partners like Klaviyo and Northbeam, 2025 was a year of disciplined spending.
-
Discounts were shallower: Average discounts dropped by roughly 10% industry-wide.
-
Intent was higher: Shoppers weren't just clicking bait; they were researching, comparing, and buying from brands they trust.
-
The Loyalty Loop: The brands that won didn't just buy strangers' attention; they activated their communities.
This aligns perfectly with what we saw across our client base. The massive efficiency numbers we achieved weren't just because of "good ads." They were the result of a Media Efficiency Ratio (MER) mindset—where paid ads acted as the spark for a bonfire built on email lists, organic community, and premium brand equity.
The View from the Peak: Sector Breakdowns
We analyzed performance across our roster—strictly anonymized to protect our partners’ proprietary data—to identify the trends that defined this season.
1. Hardgoods & Cycling: The "Gear Junkie" Wins
High-ticket items (skis, racks, bikes, roof-top tents) are often considered harder to sell during impulse-driven holidays. Not this year. The outdoor enthusiast showed up ready to invest in their adventures.
-
The Standout: A legacy hardgood brand pulled in over $530k in sales during the 4-day window on a remarkably lean ad spend, driving a blended ecosystem ROAS of nearly 144x.
-
The Insight: For hardgoods, the purchase window is long. We used Sept, Oct & November to educate and build desire, so when the BFCM offer dropped, the audience was already sold—they were just waiting for the green light.
-
Akers Take: If you sell gear that requires installation or explanation, your BFCM starts in September, or earlier. You can't cold-sell a $1,000 rack on Black Friday to a stranger.
2. Camping & Overland: Owning the Category
The camping sector saw some of the highest efficiencies in our portfolio, proving that the Van Life and Overland trend is maturing, not fading.
-
The Standout: A premium camping hardgood brand generated ~$196k in sales with a blended ROAS of 52x.
-
The Strategy: We focused heavily on Google Ads for this sector (capturing high-intent search traffic) while using Meta for visual storytelling. The result was a Google ROAS of 17x+ across the category.
-
Akers Take: In camping, Google is your compass. People search for solutions (best 4-person tent), not just brands. Being visible there with a sharp offer is non-negotiable.
3. Apparel: The Battle for "Thumbstop"
Softgoods (Apparel) is historically the bloodiest battleground during BFCM. The competition is fierce, and margins are often tighter.
-
The Performance: Our apparel clients saw solid, sustainable wins, with ROAS hovering in the 10–12x range. While lower than hardgoods (due to lower average order values), this is double the industry standard for fashion/apparel.
-
The Insight: A sustainable mountain apparel brand utilized a no-gimmick approach. Instead of a race to the bottom on price, they leaned into bundle offers and product quality.
-
Akers Take: In apparel, you cannot out-spend the giants. You must out-brand them. Creative testing throughout the year was critical to finding the "hooks" that stopped the scroll during the Cyber Week frenzy.
4. Destination Marketing (DMOs): The Experience Economy
One of the most surprising winners was the travel and resort sector.
-
The Standout: A destination drove nearly **$900k in revenue** on a shockingly low ad spend (~$3k), resulting in a ROAS that effectively broke the calculator.
-
The Strategy: This is the power of seasonality. Winter is here. By aligning the offer (season passes/lodging) with the immediate weather shifts, we captured pure intent.
The Guide Strategy: How We Did It
We don't believe in luck. We believe in preparation. Here are the three strategic pillars that drove these results:
1. The Basecamp Period (Q3 and early Q4)
We didn't wait for Black Friday to turn on the gas. We used Sept, Oct, and early November period to acquire leads and test creative. By the time BFCM hit, we weren't prospecting; we were harvesting.
2. Channel Orchestration
The data shows that Meta and Google are not islands. We saw that when we pushed hard on Meta (Awareness), our Google Branded Search volume skyrocketed. We managed these budgets fluidly, moving dollars daily to where the return was highest.
3. Respecting the Margin
As partners, we think like owners. We didn't advise clients to slash prices by 50% just to inflate revenue numbers. We protected the bottom line. A 10x ROAS with healthy margin is better than a 20x ROAS where you lose money on every unit.
What’s Your Next Step?
The holidays are a stress test for your business. If you looked at your BFCM dashboard this week and felt frustration rather than relief—or if you felt like you left revenue on the table—it might be time to change your guide.
At Akers Digital, we are built for outdoor brands. We understand seasonality, we know the difference between technical shell and casual mid-layer, and we know how to navigate the digital terrain to reach your peak.
Don't settle for industry average in 2026.
Book a Strategy Audit with Akers Digital