AM/FM radio drives massive holiday shopping impact, delivering $15 in retail sales for every $1 spent on advertising and reaching 77–78% of U.S. adults even during peak Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks, according to the latest Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group® blog post just published.
The new report, “AM/FM Radio Delivers Results For Retailers This Holiday Season,” highlights radio’s dominance in the “path-to-purchase” moment: it captures 85% of in-car ad-supported audio time and boosts store visits by 53% among listeners exposed to ads while driving.
Nearly 80 million adults plan to tune into holiday music on AM/FM or streaming this season, creating a highly receptive audience for retail messaging.
Key findings include:
- Consistent weekly reach of 77–78% during the busiest holiday weeks (Nielsen).
- $15-to-$1 ROI benchmark for retail sales lift.
- Shifting just 20% of TV budget to AM/FM radio + podcasts can increase incremental reach by +53%, especially for smaller campaigns.
- Strong synergy with e-commerce: radio listeners show higher brand favorability and past-purchase rates for online giants like Amazon.
The Cumulus | Westwood One Audio Active Group® blog, a leading source of data-driven audio insights since 2021, uses Nielsen, Edison Research, and MRI-Simmons data to position AM/FM radio as an essential, cost-effective channel during the $1 trillion+ U.S. holiday shopping season.
Past holiday analyses (2015–2024) and related reports on events like Amazon Prime Day reinforce the same core message: radio remains a high-reach, high-ROI medium that captures consumers when they’re closest to buying.