Holiday Spending Insights & Key Findings

The 2026 holiday shopping season reveals a striking consumer paradox: while persistent everyday living costs leave consumers feeling overwhelmed, holiday spending remains emotionally sacred. Rather than abandoning celebrations, Americans are executing a tactical overhaul of their shopping behaviors—pruning non-family gift lists, spreading purchases into early autumn, and focusing on high-impact gifts and meals.

Key takeaways from our national study include:

• 53.9% feel financially stretched: Budget strain is driving 32.4% of consumers to explicitly plan holiday spending cuts.

• 40.2% cite sticky everyday costs as primary constraint: Non-discretionary inflation (groceries, housing, utilities) outpaces debt and income changes.

• 62.6% distrust promotional sale prices: Consumers suspect artificial base price hikes or demand price-tracking verification.

• 76.1% scale back non-family gifts: Shoppers draw clear boundaries around coworkers, neighbors, and acquaintances.

• 36.6% adopt a "one meaningful gift" strategy: Families replace massive gift piles with single, high-impact items per person.

• Children's gifts (41.8%) and festive meals (29.3%) are non-negotiable: Core family rituals remain protected despite severe financial pressure.