10 holiday shopping trends businesses shouldn't miss in 2026

Reports forecast 2026 to be the strongest holiday season in the last four years. But a stronger season also means more ecommerce brands competing for the same shopper attention, making it more important than ever to understand where spending is going and how to position your store ahead of it.

Here are the top 10 holiday shopping trends for 2026, based on the top industry research findings, with clear takeaways for your business.

The top 10 holiday shopping trends are:

1. Holiday shopping starts early from October.

2. AI is becoming part of holiday shopping discovery.

3. Shoppers are leaning towards practical and useful gifts.

4. Product discovery majorly happens through mobile.

5. Ads greatly influence purchase decisions.

6. Gift cards are the top gift category.

7. Social media is the largest online shopping mall.

8. Flexible payment options, like BNPL, are a must-have.

9. Holiday discounts are used for everyday essentials, not just gifts.

10. Quality beats price as the top purchase driver.

Let's look at these in detail below.

1. Holiday shopping starts early from October

According to Optimove's research, holiday shopping has shifted early to October. These early buyers are also predicted to be more engaged with brands and even shop more. Businesses should start planning for the high purchase intent in October, instead of waiting until November for marketing and sales activities.

2. AI is becoming part of holiday shopping discovery

While it is not replacing traditional search, the adoption of AI for researching products and comparing prices has increased tremendously. This means businesses need to be part of the conversations AI is having with potential shoppers. No brand has complete control over this, but optimizing your ecommerce store for AI discoverability can be of great help.

3. Shoppers are leaning towards practical and useful gifts

Salsify's 2026 Holiday Pulse report found that 27% of shoppers say they are choosing more practical gifts. They are not cutting back on their spending, rather channeling it towards products that are useful, rather than luxurious. To tap into this perspective, brands can structure their marketing collateral and product descriptions around conveying why their products are worth buying.

4. Product discovery majorly happens through mobile

The ecommerce insights for the holiday season in 2026 reveal that the majority of shopping is set to happen through mobile, especially when looking into Gen Z shoppers' consumer behavior research. This means businesses must not only focus on desktop experience, but also steadfastly optimize for quick and easy mobile checkouts.

5. Ads greatly influence purchase decisions

When surveyed, 87% of holiday shoppers have said that ads are a major influence in their buying decisions. Leaning into emotion-led, benefit-based or discount-highlighted marketing campaigns across several buyer touchpoints can drastically increase discoverability and drive sales during the season.

6. Gift cards are the top gift category

Holiday shoppers are often caught between wanting to gift something useful, but having a subconscious fear of making a bad choice. The best answer to this anxiety is choosing gift cards. According to McKinsey's ConsumerWise research, consumers have cited gift cards as the category they are planning to spend in the most during this holiday season.

Think about adding simple digital gift cards to your catalog and communicate their existence in your homepage, email campaigns, or even in your checkout flow as a last-minute addition.

7. Social media is the largest online shopping mall

Social media has progressed from being a platform for discoverability. Now, it can accommodate the entire buying journey through conversion. Not only is it the top place for gift discovery, it has also become a platform for direct purchases, for both Gen Zs and Millennials.

Make sure you have proper pages on the major social media platforms and have each connected to your store or catalog for customers to browse and buy easily.

8. Flexible payment options, like BNPL, are a must-have

Buy now, pay later has moved from a nice-to-have to a purchase requirement for a meaningful segment of shoppers. Invoice Home's third annual Holiday Spending Survey found that 15% of shoppers plan to use BNPL to cover holiday expenses, and 12% of Millennials said they would not shop with a brand in 2026 if BNPL options were not offered.

While providing BNPL reduces margins slightly, brands can strategically provide the option for higher-margin items or higher-cost items to reduce purchase friction.

9. Holiday discounts are used for everyday essentials, not just gifts

Budget pressure is pushing shoppers to multitask their holiday spending for buying gifts and restocking essentials in one go. According to Adobe data cited by MarTech, sales of everyday categories are projected to spike. If you sell in everyday categories, include them in your holiday campaigns alongside gift items, and market with thoughtful campaigns like "stock up on essentials while you shop for gifts."

10. Quality beats price as the top purchase driver

Despite the economic pressure, 81% of holiday shoppers cite that they will choose product quality over price. This means competing on price alone might not win you the best sales. Instead, marketing your quality, product details, genuine customer reviews and honest comparisons can build organic trust and influence purchase decisions better.