Holiday shopping trends 2025 - US/Canada
With lights, lists, and plenty of last-minute deals, the holiday season is here. Shoppers across the US and Canada are gearing up for their favorite time of the year, and the excitement is hard to miss. From Christmas trees to Black Friday carts, the festive buzz is back.
So what’s shaping the 2025 holiday shopping scene? Where are people shopping? What drives their choices? And how are retailers preparing for the rush? Let’s take a closer look.
- Favorite holiday shopping events
- Where are people shopping?
- What influences shopping decisions?
- Preferred payment approach
- Best channels for promotions
- Gifts people want to receive
- AI in retail
- Retailer's lens
- Wrapping up
- Sample size and collection
Favorite holiday shopping events
No surprises here. Christmas and New Year’s top the charts as the most anticipated holidays. But Thanksgiving and Black Friday aren’t far behind, proving that consumers in North America love a good mix of celebrations and sales during the season.
Where are people shopping?
It’s official: online marketplaces (37%) are the crowd favorite this year. The convenience of doorstep delivery, endless options, and those irresistible flash sales have made them the go-to for most shoppers.
That said, the in-store experience still has its loyal fans. Retail chains (26%), malls (11%), and brand stores (9%) continue to attract those who love the festive ambience. Maybe it's the music, the lights, and yes, the thrill of holding what you're about to buy.
What influences shopping decisions?
When it comes to what actually drives decision-making, product quality still edges out everything else, with the highest overall average rating (4.23 out of 5).
There’s an interesting nuance though. Discounts and promotions received the highest number of “extremely important” (5) ratings, but it also attracted more mid-range ratings (2s and 3s), which pulled down their overall average to 4.21.
This suggests that while quality is consistently important to almost everyone, discounts are more polarizing.
Preferred payment approach
A whopping 82% of shoppers prefer to pay in full—possibly a sign that people are playing it smart and avoiding post-holiday debt. Installment plans and Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) options are also gaining traction, but they remain secondary choices for most consumers.
Best channels for promotions
- Gen Z and Millennials are more likely to discover deals through social media.
- Gen X and Baby Boomers favor more traditional sources like in-store signage and even word-of-mouth recommendations.
Gifts people want to receive
When asked about gifts they’d be most excited to receive, the top three choices were:
- 1. Gift vouchers or coupons
- 2.Footwear
- 3. Branded clothing
For those still wondering what to gift their loved ones, here’s what the data reveals across age groups:
- Gen Z: Gift cards/vouchers, jewelry or fashion accessories, and footwear
- Millennials: Gift cards/vouchers, footwear, and branded clothing
- Gen X: Gift cards/vouchers, experience tickets, and skincare or perfumes
Gift cards clearly dominate across all generations, proving that flexibility and choice are always a solid choice.
AI in retail
Surprisingly, 66% of respondents said they haven’t experienced any AI-related advancements in shopping. Among those who have, nearly 45% mentioned encountering AI-driven personalized recommendations, followed by virtual checkout systems (18%) and chatbots (11%).
To explore the psychology behind trust and technology, we also asked how important it was to have a human representative available while shopping.
- 45% said it’s nice to have but not essential.
- 44% said it’s absolutely necessary. They wouldn’t trust a brand that only relies on chatbots.
In short, AI is everywhere and shopping is no exception. But what’s fascinating is how divided people are about human touch: nearly half say they’re fine with chatbots, while almost the same number say they wouldn’t trust a brand without human support. It’s a razor-thin gap that perfectly sums up where shoppers draw the line with automation.
Retailer's lens
If you own a retail store, it might help to see what other retailers are doing this season because their strategies paint a clear picture of how businesses are preparing for the holidays.
When asked how they’re preparing for potential shortages and supply chain disruptions, retailers shared a mix of proactive strategies. These were some of the open ended responses.
- "I’m planning ahead by ordering gifts and supplies early, buying from multiple stores including online options, and choosing flexible delivery options to avoid delays."
- "Planning for the holiday season at least 6-9 months in advance maintain safety stock levels."
- "Early procurement and shipping, diversification of supply sources."
- "Utilization of alternative shipping methods."
When it comes to what customer data retailers found the most valuable, it was Purchase history (54%) followed by browsing behavior (45%) and engagement metrics (36%) such as email opens and ad clicks.
Wrapping up
The 2025 holidays feel like they're shaping up for a confident, well-planned shopping season. People are spending thoughtfully, choosing quality over chaos, and balancing digital ease with real-world warmth.
Retailers are thinking ahead, using data smarter, and shoppers are embracing tech, but not at the cost of trust.
Sample size and collection method
1,000 responses were gathered for this study — 500 from the United States and 500 from Canada covering a balanced mix of urban, suburban, and rural regions to reflect diverse shopping behaviors. Respondents were procured from a trusted market research panel known for its stringent security measures.