Here’s what drives holiday purchase decisions
A new survey reveals two factors that play a major role in determining what consumers buy for the holidays.
Free shipping is the strongest purchase driver cited by respondents to a survey from agentic messaging platform Cordial, influencing where 61% of respondents decide to shop. More than half (45%) of respondents to “Holiday 2026: Consumer Shopping Insights” said discounts will matter this holiday season more than the previous one, with 26% saying they will matter much more.
Millennial respondents showed the most price sensitivity, with 61% saying price and promotions are increasingly important. Spending confidence varies significantly by generation, with 48% of Gen Z respondents saying they will likely increase holiday spending, compared with just 16% of boomers. Meanwhile, 58% of boomers expect to spend about the same amount as last year.
Across generations, 43% of respondents expect their holiday spending to remain about the same year over year, while 35% expect to spend more this year, including 11% who plan to spend significantly more. Almost one-quarter (23%) plan to spend less.
Black Friday loses importance
In 2025, only 20% of surveyed consumers planned to begin shopping on Black Friday. One-quarter of respondents plan to begin shopping in early November, the most popular starting point.
[READ MORE: Survey: Holiday shopping begins early for large number of consumers]
Shoppers warm to AI
More than four-in-10 respondents (42%) say they are at least somewhat likely to use AI tools such as ChatGPT or Claude during their holiday shopping process. Millennials lead adoption, with 54% likely to use AI tools, compared with 19% of boomers.
One-third of respondents (34%) say they are comfortable allowing an AI agent to automatically complete holiday purchases based on their preferences and budget, including 13% who would trust AI to complete purchases without review. Younger generations lead this shift, with 49% of millennials and 44% of Gen Z expressing comfort with AI-assisted purchasing.
However, consumers remain most comfortable using AI during the research and comparison stages of shopping. The top AI use cases include comparing prices and finding deals (43%) and comparing products or brands (38%). When AI recommends an unfamiliar product or brand, consumers remain cautious but open: 39% remain neutral about purchasing an AI-recommended product, but also 39% say they are at least somewhat likely to make the purchase.
Retailer websites remain the top destination for holiday research
More than half (53%) of respondents plan to use retailer websites to research holiday deals and promotions, followed by social media at 39%. Social media adoption varies significantly by generation, with 56% of Gen Z and 51% of millennials using it for holiday research compared with just 12% of boomers.
Personalization resonates most with younger shoppers
Gen Z is more likely than any other respondent generation to be influenced by personalized recommendations (25%) and bundles or added value (26%) when deciding where to shop. By comparison, only 5% of boomers are influenced by personalized recommendations, and 17% are influenced by bundles.
"With the holiday season no longer defined by merely Black Friday and Cyber Monday, consumers will navigate a longer and more complex shopping journey where value, personalization and AI Assistants all play a role," said Rob Garf, head of strategy at Cordial. "Winning this holiday season requires brands to be discoverable by personal shopping agents and deliver relevance and trust to optimize customer profitability."
