Last year the holiday shopping spending record was set at $901.99 per person.
“Time and again, Americans prioritise spending on loved ones for holidays despite economic uncertainty,” NRF VP of industry and consumer insights Katherine Cullen said. “With more consumers planning to seek out sale events this year, retailers are prepared to deliver on deals and value to ensure consumers have everything they need to make the holiday special.”
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Out of the total, $627.93 will go to gifts for family and friends. The remaining $262.56 will be used on seasonal items like food or candy, decorations and greeting cards.
Early shopping remains popular, with 42% of shoppers planning to begin browsing and buying for the holiday season before November. The leading reasons they shop early are to spread out their budget (54%) or to avoid the stress of last-minute shopping (41%). Even with the early start, the majority (60%) anticipate they will finish shopping in December.
Tariffs remain top of mind for most holiday shoppers, with 85% anticipating higher prices because of tariffs. Nearly two-thirds (63%) plan to wait until Thanksgiving weekend to do most of their holiday shopping, up from 59% last year.
“Despite consumers’ economic concerns, the winter holidays remain an important occasion to celebrate with loved ones,” Prosper executive vice president of strategy Phil Rist said. “This is particularly true for those families with children who are expected to increase their gift budgets by more than $30 on average.”
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By GlobalDataAccording to the survey, the top gifts consumers would like to receive include gift cards (50%), clothing or accessories (46%), books and other media (27%), personal care or beauty items (23%) and electronics (22%).
