Will holiday shoppers be watching their wallets? Not more than usual, new report says
Even with economic turmoil and turbulence from fluctuating tariffs, consumers are still planning to show up for the holiday shopping season – at least according to a report from product management company Salsify.
Led by Gen Z and millennials, 75 percent of consumers say they’re going to spend the same or more on gifts this year compared to last year despite higher prices, according to the 2025 Consumer Holiday Shopping Report. And while they are planning to spend, it’s important to note how they plan to do their shopping.
“Shoppers aren’t letting inflation, tariffs or global turmoil steal their holiday spirit,” said Dom Scarlett, research director at Salsify. “Black Friday is thriving, but not in-store. Gift discovery is shifting from social to search, video and even AI. And more than ever, consumers are choosing brands that reflect who they are, not just what they want.”
Black Friday shopping has taken a shift to the digital realm, with only 11 percent of shoppers saying they plan to stick exclusively to in-store deals and nearly a quarter mixing in-store and online. Additionally, more consumers plan to make online purchases with Black Friday deals (73 percent) vs. waiting for Cyber Monday bargains (61 percent).
When shopping online, half of all consumers say AI-curated gift suggestions would actually improve their experience – making it more influential that blogs, podcasts or print ads – and 63 percent of millennials and 56 percent of Gen Z believe AI makes shopping easier. “For younger consumers, AI is more than a novelty, it’s expected,” Salisfy said.
Younger consumers may have an extended interest in social media, but it doesn’t tie into their gift discovery habits the way it did last year.
According to the report, only 28 percent of shoppers say social media is their go-to method for finding gifts – that’s down from the 35 percent in 2024. Search engines (58 percent), online marketplaces (48 percent) and retailer websites (43 percent) are the top three methods for consumers to find gifts. Once-traditional formats like TV and streaming video ads are seeing an uptick, too, influencing 12 percent of Gen X and 10 percent of millennials and outpacing blogs (7 percent) and podcasts (4 percent).
