Holiday shoppers tighten budgets, seek more meaningful purchases
“Consumers are not abandoning holiday spending, they’re becoming increasingly purposeful about where and how they spend.”
Holiday Sales
Target expands price cuts ahead of holiday season
The latest cuts add to over 10,000 price reductions Target made last year to offer shoppers more affordable options.
Adobe: U.S. holiday shopping season to hit record $275.1 billion online
Consumers are expected to take advantage of competitive deals this season (up to 30% off listed price) to stock up on essentials such as personal hygiene and household cleaning products.
Accenture finds holiday shoppers spending more, turning to AI
The survey of 4,048 U.S. shoppers found that average holiday spending is expected to reach $737 per consumer in 2026, nearly 12% higher than last year.
Circana: AI reshapes holiday product discovery
Circana says advertisers should prepare for earlier shopping and growing use of AI and social platforms for product discovery.
Holiday sales set to hit record $1.7 trillion, Deloitte reports
E-commerce holiday sales projected to reach $316.1 billion to $318.9 billion, increasing 7.5% to 8.4%.
Bain: Holiday sales poised to break $1 trillion
U.S. retail sales to grow 4.5% YoY in crucial holiday shopping season in November-December.
New Narvar data reveals retailers aren’t ready for AI holiday shoppers
Research finds consumers' expectations are rising across the shopping journey, with nearly 30% expecting same-day or next-day delivery on free-shipping orders.
Inflation reshapes holiday shopping as 96% seek budget-smart deals
Minty’s new Smart Shopper Study finds consumers are turning to AI and cashback and savings apps, shopping earlier to uncover best values
Inflation drives more holiday shoppers to increase gift spending in 2026
Basis and GWI Survey of 2000 U.S. consumers show trends in holiday gifting, celebrations and concerns.
CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor’s December numbers reveal strong holiday season spending
Based on Retail Monitor data, 2025 holiday sales from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31 grew 4.1%.
Mastercard SpendingPulse reports 3.9% growth in holiday retail sales, fueled by online shopping
Getting a strong early start, consumers embraced convenience and connection through the season.
Circana: November retail sales remained steady but critical holiday shopping weeks lack momentum
Combined, Black Friday Week and Cyber Week resulted in a 2% dollar and nearly 5% unit decline from last year.
Record-breaking Super Saturday: 159 million shoppers expected
Super Saturday shoppers are expected to embrace multiple channels this year, with nearly half, or 71.6 million (45%), planning to shop both in-store and online
NRF: Thanksgiving holiday weekend draws a record 203 million shoppers
Consumers turned out both in-store and online throughout the five days.
Walmart elevates holiday shopping with record-breaking Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals
Shoppers across the country turned to the retailer for unbeatable deals on electronics to fashion and lightning-fast delivery in as soon as 10 minutes.