Survey: Grocery prices to impact consumers' holiday shopping, hosting plans
Higher prices at the grocery store are impacting consumers’ outlook for the holiday season.
Half of consumers (50%) say rising grocery costs make holiday hosting more stressful, while more than three-quarters (78%) say higher prices will affect their holiday spending decisions this year, according to a new survey from Omnisend.
Americans expect to spend an average of $950 this holiday season, primarily on gifts and groceries for hosting, totaling an estimated $256.3 billion nationwide. Nearly half (44%) of those surveyed are expecting to accumulate debt from the spending, while 39% say they will use or would consider using buy now, pay later services, down from 45% who said the same last year.
Omnisend found that more than half (53%) of Americans plan to host a holiday gathering or contribute food to one this season, while a third (33%) expect to spend more on holiday groceries and food than they did last year. One-in-five (20%) Americans said they feel pressure to "do it right" when hosting holiday gatherings.
"Holiday hosting is one of the few seasonal expenses that's difficult to scale back without changing the experience itself," said Marty Bauer, e-commerce expert at Omnisend. "People can buy fewer gifts, hunt for discounts or delay purchases, but when you're feeding family and friends, there are limits to how much you can cut. Eventually, cost-saving decisions start affecting more than the menu. They can affect how people gather, entertain and celebrate together, turning what would normally be a budgeting decision into an emotional one."
[READ MORE: Numerator: Slowing inflation doesn't ease consumers' concern]
To make budgets stretch during the holidays, Americans plan to look for discount codes and coupons (35%), set a strict holiday spending budget in advance (27%), wait for sales before making purchases (23%) and start shopping earlier than usual (26%). Among those who plan to start shopping earlier than usual, the most common reason (29%) is to spread holiday costs over more paychecks and reduce financial pressure later in the season.
"After several years of elevated living costs, consumers may be reaching a point where adding more debt simply doesn't feel sustainable," added Bauer. "What's notable is that many are adjusting their behavior before they spend, rather than worrying about how they'll pay for it afterward. That's a meaningful shift in how households are approaching the holidays."
Omnisend’s survey was conducted by Cint in August 2026. A total of 1,000 U.S. consumers participated.
