Federal Express Corporation, the world’s largest express transportation company, released fresh insights from a survey of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) across Europe that trade internationally.

The findings predict strong sales in the run-up to Christmas with eight in 10 (81 percent) predicting their holiday season sales will be better this year than in 2024. 

Conducted in September 2025, the survey polled more than 1,200 SMEs across nine European markets that trade internationally.

It explored business sentiment for the 2025 holiday trading season and expectations for international e-commerce festivals such as Black Friday (28 November) and Cyber Monday (1 December).

The survey findings reveal that those polled are optimistic about holiday sales this year, with over a third (36 percent) of SMEs expecting sales to be significantly better than last year, and a further two-fifths (45 percent) predicting they will be slightly better. Businesses in Turkey (95 percent), Poland (88 percent), and the Netherlands (85 percent) emerged as the nations with the strongest hopes for the holiday season. Italy (66 percent), Spain (78 percent) and the United Kingdom (79 percent) were the least optimistic.

Overseas demand for European goods:

On average, SMEs from across the nine markets predicted that over a third (37 percent) of their holiday sales would come from regions outside Europe, demonstrating positive demand for European goods. This proportion was consistent across business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) SMEs. The top five regions with which Europe’s internationally trading SMEs reported doing business are revealed as other European countries (77 percent), the U.S. (48 percent), the Middle East (34 percent), Asia-Pacific countries (31 percent), and Latin America and the Caribbean (22percent).

e-commerce-led events expected to deliver measurable impact:

The research shows that the majority of European SMEs polled (86 percent) see e-commerce shopping festivals, such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Singles’ Day, as important to their sales. Over half (54 percent) saw such festivals as very important, with a further third (32 percent) seeing them as somewhat important. The overall proportion agreeing such festivals are important was highest amongst businesses dealing in both consumer and business goods (94 percent), while those that dealt solely in consumer goods (84 percent) or business goods (77 percent) were slightly lower.

 “Our latest figures show a real sense of optimism from Europe’s SMEs for this Peak holiday season,” said Wouter Roels, President at FedEx Europe. “A large majority anticipate sales to surpass last year’s figures, with e-commerce holiday festivals expected to act as a major catalyst for a strong Peak season. The findings challenge the assumption that festivals like Black Friday are purely catalysts for BTC – there are plenty of growth opportunities for Europe’s B2B businesses to capitalise on, too.”

FedEx is proactively addressing evolving customer needs with its portfolio of smart digital solutions designed to improve supply chain visibility, streamline shipping, and reduce international delivery times. Through tools like Electronic Trade Documents, customers can streamline customs declarations by uploading documents digitally to ensure timely delivery. To further support European SMEs that are expanding their global footprint, the FedEx SMB Hub provides multimedia resources, trade guidelines, and local market insights, equipping businesses with the knowledge and tools to confidently expand and compete across borders.

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