POMPANO BEACH, Fla. – Moms are making a list and checking it twice as they prepare this year's holiday shopping budget. A recent survey conducted by BSM Media, the leading authority on Marketing to Moms and largest mom influencer agency in the U.S., reveals how moms' buying plans for the December holiday are affected by the fear of potential price increases and supply chain disruption caused by ongoing tariff negotiations.
Moms spend $1.6 trillion a year in the US economy and are the decision-makers when it comes to holiday expenditures. BSM Media surveyed 500 Moms across the US on what matters to them as they gear up for the upcoming holiday gift buying season.
According to the survey, 81% of moms are concerned about the impact of tariffs on their families, and 58% intend to change their shopping habits this year for the holidays. They are concerned foremost about groceries, followed by clothing and shoes, home goods and appliances, cars, electronics, and toys. Seventy percent of respondents are worried about how tariffs on toys will impact their holiday shopping. Moms expressed concern about increased prices 84%, limited choices 51%, limited distribution 39%, online sellouts 36% and the scarcity of hot toys 27%.
When asked about how they would adapt their shopping strategies, the majority said that they would limit the number of toys their child receives 51% or consider purchasing experiences over toys 46%.
In a nod to sustainable practices and a bit of ingenuity, 37% of moms said they would sell toys that are no longer used to offset the cost of new ones, and 33% said that they would purchase gently used items from thrift stores or resell sites as gifts.
Moms also look to other moms for good advice: 32% said they would take recommendations from other moms for saving money, and 33% said they would use social media to identify sales.
Shoppers generally start purchasing gifts between September and November, though some begin as early as July.
"What price increases can we expect on imported goods in the coming months? That is the time moms will start shopping for the holidays. Moms are planners by nature, so uncertainty is not optimum and may well affect retailers' bottom line," says Maria Bailey, author of Marketing to Moms and CEO of BSM Media, the largest network of mom influencers exclusively comprised of Mom bloggers and Mom influencers in the world. "Moms who keep to their budgets may find that their dollars will not go as far as last year."
Notably, when asked if they were willing to pay a little more for a product made in the US to avoid tariffs, 30% said yes, 11% said no, and almost 60% said it depends on the price difference. It was an even split between moms that shop websites or retailers that highlight products made in the US and those that do not. When it comes to toys, 63% admitted that they do not seek out American-made toys.
"The 90-day tariff truce between the US and China could make early Christmas shopping a better deal for moms around the country," adds Bailey. "There's the added pleasure of completing the task ahead of schedule, with more time to enjoy the season."
For more information on the Tariffs and Families survey (May 2025), see www.bsmmedia.com
