Accenture: Holiday stress can lead to cart abandonment
The stress of the holiday season is expected to have an impact on consumers’ purchasing decisions.
More than eight-in-10 (84%) consumers report that purchasing holiday gifts can be so overwhelming and frustrating that they abandon their shopping carts entirely as a result, according to the latest Holiday Survey from IT management and consulting firm Accenture. That figure rises among younger generations, with 89% Gen Z and 91% millennials reporting they are likely to walk away from holiday gift purchases.
At the start of 2024, Accenture’s Consumer Pulse Survey found that just under three quarters (74%) of consumers reported walking away from purchases because they felt overwhelmed, showing that stress grows during the holiday season.
[READ MORE: Experian: Holiday budgets shrinking, shopping habits changing]
Concern over not buying the perfect holiday gift is a contributing factor to “shopper stress," according to Accenture's survey. Three-quarters (75%) of shoppers say they are stressed about making the right decisions, and a similar number (73%) are worried they will regret their choice later.
“While holiday season is known to be a time for joy and celebration, it can also be a time of heightened stress. Add the pressure of finding the perfect gift for friends and loved ones, and it can all feel overwhelming,” said Jill Standish, Accenture’s global retail lead. “For retailers, that overwhelm could harm holiday sales, with shoppers prepared to abandon their shopping basket completely. And while this is when many retailers and brands double down on advertising and promotional campaigns to win share of the festive spend, they must pay even closer attention to customer data and use the insights to lighten the decision-making workload of the holiday shopper.”
When it comes to deciding where and how to shop, almost half (45%) of consumers say they will visit a store to see and assess products in person when faced with too much information while holiday shopping. Forty-eight percent seek recommendations from friends and family, while one-in-five plan to use AI-powered conversational assistants such as ChatGPT or Claude. One third (34%) of consumers will search on social media for product information to combat information overload.
“AI-driven technologies such as generative AI can help ease ‘shopper stress’ by acting as a concierge, guiding and curating every step of the purchasing journey,” added Standish. “The technology can help deliver experiences that feel personal, relevant, and timely by recommending options, comparing features, and even narrowing choices.”
Accenture’s Holiday Survey featured 3,000 consumers across 10 countries and was conducted in August 2025.
