The focus for Q3 isn’t just making sales, it’s selling profitably. PH Digital’s July Market Report breaks it down.
Highlights from the July 2025 report
Momentum is holding, but Q3 is shaping up to be the season where profitability takes centre stage. PH Digital’s latest Market Report unpacks exactly where brands should focus to turn resilience into long-term value.
Based on anonymised performance data from leading ecommerce and service clients across New Zealand and Australia, PH Digital’s Monthly Market Report offers a clear, actionable snapshot of what’s working right now across Shopify, Meta, Google, SEO and EDM.
The July Market Report reveals revenue up 10% YoY and orders up 9.7%, driven by strong promotional activity (+22%). But customer counts remain flat (-1.8%) and average discounts are climbing, signalling the need to balance acquisition with retention and protect margins. Month-on-month, EOFY seasonality softened revenue (-6%) while returns improved (-14.6%) – proof that customers are buying with more confidence when the offer is right.
Key insights from July
- Discounts & AOV: Discounts rose 15.6% MoM, while AOV dipped 6.9%. Bundling, loyalty perks and value-driven merchandising are critical to lift spend without eroding profit.
- Google Ads: +17% revenue YoY from +26% spend, with PMAX and Brand Search doing the heavy lifting. Efficiency now depends on precision targeting and post-click optimisation.
- Meta Ads: CTRs are climbing, but ROAS softened as costs outpaced returns. Native, lo-fi creative and tighter hooks are outperforming polished campaigns.
- SEO: Google confirms that big site changes need more time to pay off. We’re aligning strategies to rank in AI-driven search using the new PEECAI SPA framework.
Other highlights
- Platform updates from Google, Instagram, TikTok and Yotpo.
- Our take on Meta’s $70 billion AI bet, YouTube Shorts’ surge to 200 billion monthly views, and Google’s tests of AI-embedded ads.
- Practical retention playbooks to keep customers engaged long after the first sale.
With seasonal softness behind us, Q3 is the moment to fine-tune offers, defend margin and build loyalty that compounds into Q4. PH Digital’s July Market Report shows you exactly how.
Tl;dr
If you want the smartest, most up-to-date view of what’s moving the needle in digital marketing right now, download PH Digital’s Market Report for July 2025.
Missed previous reports? Check out the archive here.
About PH Digital’s Market Report
PH Digital’s Market Report is an essential source of clarity, context and actionable insight. It’s built for business owners and marketing managers navigating a fast-changing digital landscape.
Released monthly, the report distils anonymised performance data from PH’s client portfolio across Shopify, Google, Meta, email and SEO into an easy-to-read snapshot of what’s really happening in the market, and what to do about it.
Designed for busy people, each section pairs hard metrics with clear takeaways. Skim it like a newsletter or deep-dive like a strategist. And because PH works with premium ecommerce and service brands across New Zealand, Australia and beyond, the insights are hyper-relevant to local businesses, while also looking beyond the algorithm to consider broader consumer, cultural and economic trends.
Grounded in real data, the report doesn’t just show what’s working – it explains why, and how you can apply it. Whether you’re chasing conversions, trying to cut wasted spend, or planning your next brand push, it connects short-term performance with long-term brand strategy.
