50+ Holiday Shopping Statistics for 2025

Holiday shopping in 2025 is shaping up to be just as exciting, competitive, and fast-paced as ever. 

To understand how consumers are approaching this critical season, we surveyed more than 1,200 shoppers about their plans, habits, and spending expectations. 

This marks the seventh consecutive year we’ve conducted the holiday shopping study, providing a unique perspective on how trends have changed over time and how they’re likely to unfold this season.

From Black Friday doorbusters to Cyber Monday clicks, the data from our retail market research company reveals what’s driving purchase decisions, how much people plan to spend, and where brands should focus their attention.

Top Holiday Shopping Statistics for 2025:

• 1 in 5 consumers will spend $1000 or more on holiday shopping in 2025
• Over 1 in 10 people will complete their holiday shopping before Thanksgiving
• 3 in 4 people would consider using AI to help with holiday shopping
• In 2025, 78% of consumers expect to spend the same or less on holiday shopping compared to 2024
• Less than a third of in-person shoppers plan to go to a shopping mall (30%) on Black Friday
• Consumers ranked Amazon Prime Day as the top retail event for the best deals of the year
• Consumers mostly discover Cyber Week deals through retailer websites (61%) and promotional emails (54%)
• 1 in 10 shoppers (10%) discover Cyber Week deals through AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini

Spending & Budget Trends

• 1 in 5 consumers anticipate spending $1000 or more on holiday shopping in 2025
• 1 in 7 consumers plan to spend less than $200 on holiday shopping this year 
• To save for the holidays, over 1 in 3 people set aside a specific amount of money each month (35%)
• 33% of consumers don’t plan on saving any money for the holidays
• 30% of people wait for holiday bonuses or extra income to fund holiday shopping
• For 1 in 10 consumers, part of their pay automatically goes into a holiday fund to save for the holidays 
• In 2025, 78% of consumers expect to spend the same or less on holiday shopping compared to 2024

Timing of Holiday Shopping

• 88% of people plan to shop on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and/or Cyber Monday in 2025
• 63% plan to shop on Cyber Monday 2025
• In 2025, 30% plan to shop on Small Business Saturday
• 1 in 3 in-person Black Friday shoppers will start shopping in-store on Thanksgiving Day 2025 (33%)
• 30% of in-person Black Friday shoppers will start shopping in-store on Friday, November 28th 2025 between 5 AM to 10 AM
• Over 1 in 5 people (22%) will not complete their holiday shopping until the week leading up to Christmas
• Over 1 in 10 people will complete their holiday shopping before Thanksgiving
• 28% of people will finish their holiday shopping after Cyber Week
• Over 2 in 5 people plan to shop during Cyber Week to avoid the holiday shopping rush closer to the end of the year

Where Shoppers Are Buying

• In 2025, nearly every Cyber Week shopper (94%) plans to shop Amazon on Black Friday and/or Cyber Monday – a 9% jump from our 2024 survey
• Most in-person Black Friday shoppers will visit Walmart (71%) and Target (56%) on Black Friday
• Nearly 2 in 5 in-person Black Friday shoppers plan to go to Best Buy (29%)
• Less than a third of in-person Black Fridays shoppers plan to go to a shopping mall (30%)
• 2 in 3 Cyber Monday shoppers plan to purchase from Walmart (61%)
• Nearly half of Cyber Monday shoppers plan to purchase from Target (48%)

Holiday Gift Priorities

• Clothing and accessories is the top purchase category for both in-person Black Friday shopping (80%) and online (77%) 
• On Cyber Monday, most shoppers plan to purchase clothing and accessories (78%) and electronics (70%)
• Over half of Small Business Saturday shoppers plan to purchase clothing and accessories (56%)
• Most Black Friday shoppers plan to purchase electronics either in-person (70%) or online (69%)
• Over 1 in 3 people will purchase gift cards on Black Friday whether it be in-store (37%) or online (36%)
• Nearly 2 in 5 people will purchase gift cards on Cyber Monday (37%)
• Over 1 in 4 Cyber Monday shoppers will purchase books (27%)

Deals & Discounts That Matter Most

• Consumers ranked Amazon Prime Day as the top retail event for the best deals of the year
• Consumers are twice as likely to say the best Black Friday deals are found online compared to in-store
• People mostly shop during Cyber Week to take advantage of special discounts (78%) and to buy items they’ve been wanting at a lower price (63%)
• Most shoppers cite free shipping (77%), promotions/sales (76%), and availability of products (62%) as the top factors for where they choose to shop during Cyber Week
• Nearly half of shoppers agree fast shipping times is an important factor for where they choose to shop during Cyber Week (49%)

Marketing Influences on Purchase Decisions

• Consumers mostly discover Cyber Week deals through retailer websites (61%) and promotional emails (54%)
• Nearly half of (47%) cite retailer promotional social media ads for how they discover Cyber Week deals
• Over 1 in 3 shoppers rely on retailer apps/push notifications to discover deals for Cyber Week (34%)
• Nearly 1 in 5 people (18%) discover Cyber Week deals through influencers
• Over 2 in 5 shoppers report online reviews as an important factor for where they choose to shop during Cyber Week (41%)

AI’s Impact on Holiday Shopping

• 3 in 4 people would consider using AI to help with holiday shopping
• Most shoppers would consider using AI to find the lowest prices across multiple sites (59%) 
• Close to half of holiday shoppers (49%) would use AI to help track price drops or coupons
• 2 in 5 holiday shoppers would consider using AI to compare product reviews and ratings
• 1 in 10 shoppers (10%) discover Cyber Week deals through AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini
• Nearly 1 in 10 shoppers (8%) report AI-powered shopping assistance as a factor for choosing where they shop during Cyber Week

Recommended Reading: Nearly 1 in 2 People Feel a Sense of Connection to AI Chatbots, Survey Finds

Online vs. In-Store Shopping Preferences

• 71% of people will shop online this Black Friday, while 29% will shop in-person 
• 29% of shoppers will wait over two hours in line to enter a store on Black Friday
• 42% of Black Friday shoppers will wait 30 minutes to an hour in checkout lines
• More than half of online Black Friday shoppers (53%) say they prefer using a smartphone, compared to 37% who shop on a desktop or laptop
• Those who shop for Black Friday on a smartphone prefer to do so through a retailer’s app (27%) or website browser (26%)
• More people will purchase household appliances in-person on Black Friday (38%) than online (30%)
• 1 in 5 people agree buy online pick up in-store (BOPUS) capabilities is an important factor when choosing where to shop during Cyber Week

Shopper Stress & Challenges

• Not liking crowds (52%) is the biggest reason people will not shop on Black Friday
• Over 1 in 10 people agree Cyber Week is a scam (12%)
• Nearly 1 in 5 people are not participating in Cyber Week because they don’t want to spend money
• This year, 1 in 3 people expect to spend less on holiday shopping compared to 2024
• Among consumers cutting back on holiday shopping, the top reasons are rising costs of living (70%), higher grocery prices (58%), and ongoing inflation (53%)
• Over 1 in 5 are spending less money on holiday shopping this year due to job uncertainty

Survey Background & Methodology

Figures in our holiday shopping report are drawn from an online survey conducted by Drive Research, a global market research company, to better understand consumers’ holiday shopping preferences and purchasing behaviors.

The survey took an average of 7 minutes to complete and included 24 questions. The survey received 1,249 responses. Fieldwork for the survey began on September 12 and lasted until September 19, 2025. 

With a probabilistic sample, a total of 1,249 responses at the 95% confidence level offers a 3% margin of error. If the survey were conducted with another random pool of respondents, the results would yield within +3% or -3% of the stated totals in the reports.

Download Our 2025 Holiday Shopping Report

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