Beyond the Basket - 24/10/25

Friday 24th October | #58 | Join Free

Four weeks out from BFCM, your last calm moment before the chaos. Today we’ve got a checklist to make sure you’re actually ready. Plus, news that ASDA and Evri are teaming up, and ASOS is heading to the high street. Let’s Jump in ⬇️ - Mike Callachan (BtB Founder)

In today’s beyond the basket:
📋 Four Weeks Out from BFCM: Are You Actually Ready?
📦 Asda and Evri launch in-store ParcelShops
🛍️ Asos steps offline with Carnaby Street pop-up
💷 Consumer confidence stays low ahead of Budget
💻 Meta’s October Overhaul: AI, Ads, and a New Engagement Metric

➕ Plus three longer reads on how AI is rewriting search visibility, why ad budgets are buying less impact, and what creator delays reveal about a cautious Q4.

We’re about a month away from Black Friday. Close enough that whatever’s still unfinished will start to pinch soon.

The next few days are probably your last quiet stretch before the madness begins.

Here’s a quick checklist to work through before campaign mode takes over:

Do this now: Take one quiet hour today and run through this list. Anything you tighten up now saves you a late-night scramble later.

Ask for feedback before you ask for a review, it can help double response quality. It also flags issues early, turning potential refund requests into easy saves.

TL;DR: Asda is partnering with Evri to roll out ParcelShops across all 1,200 of its UK stores, letting customers collect and return parcels while they shop.

Why it matters: This is the first full-scale parcel partnership between a supermarket and a courier, and it’s a smart play on two fronts. For Asda, it drives more footfall at a time when grocery margins are tight. For Evri, it’s a leap forward in reach and reliability, especially heading into peak season. The move also aligns with shopper behaviour, 70% of UK consumers say they want flexible collection and return options tied to their regular shopping trips.

Consider this: The real battleground isn’t speed, it’s convenience. As shoppers bundle errands (groceries, parcels, coffee), brands that plug into that loop, via lockers, supermarket pickup, or flexible returns, will win more often.

TL;DR: Asos is opening a Carnaby Street pop-up from 7–16 November, featuring 200+ products, exclusive adidas x Asos drops, and loyalty-member styling sessions.

Why it matters: The move signals Asos’s renewed focus on blending digital and physical retail. After years of being a pureplay, the brand is testing real-world engagement, a response to slowing online growth and rising acquisition costs. The pop-up doubles as both brand theatre and conversion funnel: physical discovery, digital checkout. It’s also smart timing, right before peak holiday trading.

Think About This: Ecommerce-only brands are realising physical space can drive digital sales. Whether through pop-ups, retail partners, or showroom-style studio stores, the goal isn’t footfall, it’s connection. Giving shoppers a tactile moment makes the online experience stickier.

TL;DR: UK consumer confidence rose slightly in October, but GfK’s index remains negative at -17. Shoppers are cautiously optimistic heading into Black Friday, but Budget uncertainty and cost-of-living pressures are keeping spending tight.

Why it matters: GfK’s data suggests the small lift in sentiment is driven by seasonal sales, not stronger financial confidence. The “major purchase” index rose to -12, reflecting shoppers gearing up for Black Friday and Christmas deals rather than loosening their wallets. But with the Chancellor’s Budget still to come, any talk of tax hikes or economic caution could quickly reverse that mood just as peak season begins.

Consider this: Expect more selective spending. Shoppers will still buy, but they’ll hold out for clear value, discounts, bundles, or flexible payment options. Watch how customers respond to offers and price points; it’s a useful read on how confident they really feel.

Meta’s October updates quietly changed how brands advertise, create, and connect across Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms. The focus isn’t on flashy new tools, it’s on turning Meta’s ecosystem into a tightly integrated, AI-driven commerce engine.

The biggest shift: “Maximize Interactions” now replaces Post Engagement as the objective for engagement campaigns. Instead of optimising for likes or shares, Meta’s system predicts and targets whichever actions signal meaningful interaction, clicks, comments, saves, or otherwise. Advertisers may see better performance per dollar, but less clarity around what the algorithm is actually prioritising.

AI now runs through nearly everything Meta does. During Advertising Week New York, the company introduced a Business AI assistant that functions like a built-in sales rep, alongside new features like AI Dubbing, AI-generated music, and persona-based image generation for Advantage+ campaigns. Meta also confirmed it will use Meta AI interactions to inform ad targeting, another step toward AI signals replacing third-party data.

On the creative front, Meta is testing virtual try-ons, AI-suggested creator partnerships, and a “Restyle” feature that instantly reworks visual assets.

What to do now: If you manage Meta ads, revisit your campaign objectives, “Maximize Interactions” will likely become the default soon. Test the Advantage+ creative tools while you can still opt out; they’re on track to become standard. And keep watching how AI-driven targeting affects performance. It’s shaping up to be the next big variable in paid social results.

Curated deep dives, longer reads and analysis shaping the future of eCommerce and digital marketing.

How AI has changed the search landscape forever
The Drum (6 min) Read here >
An opinion piece arguing that generative-AI is rewriting how people discover information, and that search visibility now means being cited by AI, not just ranking on Google.

Brands are paying more for ads that do less
Adweek (5 min) Read here >
Highlights new data from Shutterstock showing brand ad spend is up but impact is down, suggesting volume-based tactics are failing in a tighter performance environment. 

Some creators say brands are delaying their holiday deals
Digiday (4 min) Read here >
Reports that brands are pushing holiday creator partnerships closer to the wire (30 days out instead of 60+), a sign of budget caution and fragmented planning ahead of Q4.