Holiday Shopping Is Defying the Economy, New Survey Shows

Salsify’s 2026 report shows consumers are holding the line on spending as global events and AI reshape how they shop

BOSTON, June 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rising gas prices. Global instability. Nonstop negative headlines. None of it is slowing holiday shoppers down. New research from Salsify shows consumers are holding the line on spending, with 23% planning to spend more this holiday season while only 18% plan to spend less, even after a record-breaking $1.2 trillion year for ecommerce in 2025. But they’re not shopping the same way. Instead, consumers are expanding where and how they shop — across physical stores, ecommerce, and emerging AI-powered experiences — ushering in a new “three-shelf” holiday where shopping spans physical, digital, and AI-driven channels all at once.

“Consumers aren’t pulling back, they’re stretching how they shop,” said Dom Scarlett, research director at Salsify. “They’re adding new channels like AI without abandoning stores or ecommerce, which is making the path to purchase more complex than ever.”

Consumers Aren’t Cutting Back, They’re Holding the Line

Despite economic pressure, holiday spending is holding steady, with a slight tilt toward growth.

• 51% of shoppers plan to spend the same as last year
• 23% plan to spend more, compared to just 18% who plan to spend less
• Millennials are leading the charge, with 33% planning to increase spending — the highest of any generation
• 40% say global and local events aren’t impacting their gift-giving at all

Retailer Insight: Consumers may be more selective, but they’re not retreating. Brands should plan for steady demand, especially among millennial shoppers with strong purchasing power.

Shopping Has Split Into 3 Shelves

The biggest shift this holiday season isn’t going to be how much consumers spend, it’s how they shop.

Consumers are no longer choosing between online and in-store. Instead, they’re navigating three distinct “shelves” simultaneously:

• Physical shelf: 69% of shoppers plan to purchase in-store, a significant increase year over year
• Digital shelf: Online marketplaces and retail sites remain central to discovery and purchase
• Agentic shelf: 51% of shoppers say they’d feel comfortable using AI to discover, research, or even purchase gifts on their behalf
  

Retailer Insight: The path to purchase is no longer linear. Winning brands will be the ones that show up consistently across all three shelves with accurate, compelling product content.

AI Is Becoming the Holiday Shopping Wingman

AI is quickly moving from novelty to sidekick this holiday season, helping shoppers brainstorm, compare, and narrow down choices without taking over the final decision.

More than half of consumers (54%) say AI tools like chatbots and gift guides would improve holiday shopping. Forty percent (40%) are comfortable using AI to discover ideas for loved ones, while 36% would use it to help choose gifts for themselves.

Shoppers are defining exactly what role AI should play in their lives:

• 30% want a deal hunter that finds the lowest price
• 18% want a trusted advisor that recommends high-quality gifts
• 11% want a fast decision maker that narrows gift choices quickly
  

AI isn’t replacing shopping, it’s becoming part of it. Still, 27% say they don’t want an AI shopping assistant at all.

Retailer Insight: AI is reshaping how shoppers discover and evaluate products, not how they decide. Brands that win will be the ones whose product content is clear, complete, and compelling enough to show up — and stand out — in both search results and AI-generated recommendations.

What’s Happening in the World Is Ending Up Under the Tree

Holiday shopping in 2026 isn’t just economic, it’s emotional. What’s happening in the world isn’t stopping people from shopping, but it is changing what they buy.

While 42% of shoppers say news doesn’t influence their purchasing at all, others are turning to shopping as a way to cope. Twenty-six percent say they’ve purchased gifts or items to improve their mood after stressful news, and another 25% say they do so occasionally.

For those who are influenced, gifting behavior is shifting. Shoppers are balancing practicality with emotion, with 27% choosing more practical gifts and 25% opting for more comforting ones. In the U.S., shoppers skew toward comfort, while those in the U.K. and Canada lean toward practicality.

Global events are also influencing where shoppers look for products. While 40% say global events aren’t impacting their gift decisions, a majority are adjusting how they shop — and nearly a third are leaning into domestically made products. Thirty percent prefer domestically made goods, 29% are actively trying to buy more domestic gifts, and 31% say product origin doesn’t influence their decisions.

Retailer Insight: Holiday shopping is being shaped as much by emotion as by global events. Brands that connect on comfort, practicality, or domestic sourcing — while balancing local and global appeal — will be best positioned to win.

For more insights on the survey methodology and to download the full 2026 Consumer Holiday Shopping Report, visit here.

About Salsify
Salsify helps thousands of brand manufacturers, distributors, and retailers in over 140 countries win on the digital and agentic shelves. The company’s Product Experience Management (PXM) platform enables organizations to centralize all of their product content, connect to the commerce ecosystem, and automate business processes to deliver the best possible product experiences across every selling destination and agentic commerce opportunity.

Learn how the world’s largest brands, including Mars, L'Oreal, The Coca-Cola Company, Bosch, and ASICS, as well as retailers and distributors, such as DoorDash, E.Leclerc, Carrefour, Metro, and Intermarché use Salsify every day to drive efficiency, power growth, and lead the digital shelf. For more information, please visit: www.salsify.com.

Media contact:
Carolyn Adams
carolyn@bluerunpr.com

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