Survey: 25% of U.S. consumers expect to spend more this holiday season
The holiday season is months away, but consumers are already planning ahead – while expecting to spend more than last year.
According to Salsify’s 2026 Holiday Pulse Report, a quarter (25%) of U.S. shoppers are expecting to spend more this holiday season, compared to 17% who said the same last year. A similar percentage (26%) of shoppers in the U.K. are expecting to spend more, along with 18% of Canadians.
Nearly one-in-five (19%) shoppers surveyed by Salsify said they planned to start their holiday shopping from January to April on the heels of holidays that have just passed, up 4% from 2025. Seventeen percent of those surveyed said they plan to shop for gifts during the summer months.
Among peak-season shoppers, 16% start their holiday shopping in October, and a quarter (25%) do so in November. Fewer than 10% of shoppers wait until the last minute for their gift needs and begin holiday shopping in December.
[READ MORE: Here’s when retailers offer the most deals (it’s not Cyber Week)]
Nearly three-quarters (73%) of consumers plan to shop on Black Friday online, in physical retail stores, and through a mix of both, which is consistent with Salsify’s previous data. While shoppers still plan to discover and purchase products through physical retail stores, nearly two-thirds (65%) are planning to do some of their Black Friday shopping online.
Nearly two-thirds (61%) of shoppers plan to shop on Cyber Monday this year, on par with 2025. Salsify noted that the holiday appears to be unaffected by the overall decline in daily online shopping (21% in 2025 to 9% in 2026, according to Salsify’s most recent consumer survey).
More shoppers say they believe Cyber Monday offers significant value this year (36%) versus last year (27%). Similar to Black Friday, the same number of shoppers who view it as valuable also look at deals, but don’t necessarily rely on them (36%).
Physical retail stores continue to be the most common place for shoppers to discover products. Salsify’s report found that 60% of shoppers discover new products and brands at brick-and-mortar stores, and 59% find gifts there. Forty-two percent of shoppers discover gift ideas via wish lists from friends or family, compared to 39% who find recommendations on online marketplaces like Amazon.
Additional highlights from the survey include the following:
- Fashion and apparel was voted the most popular vertical for holiday gifts by respondents, and it was also the most popular vertical that shoppers plan to buy online (65%).
- Electronics saw an increase in popularity from 2025 (46%, up from 42%), putting them equal to personal care and beauty this year (46%).
- In the face of tariffs, some shoppers either prefer domestically made products (30%) or are actively trying to buy more domestically made gifts this year (29%).
- Last year, half (50%) of holiday shoppers said AI shopping tools such as chatbots and gift guides would improve holiday shopping. Now, the figure is up to 54%. This is slightly behind the 64% of shoppers who reported using AI shopping tools to discover and research new products outside of the holiday season.
Salsify surveyed 1,212 participants, comprising 412 shoppers from the U.S., 400 shoppers from the U.K., and 400 shoppers from Canada for its 2026 Holiday Pulse Report. Salsify administered the survey using SurveyMonkey and collected data on March 20–24.
