Consumers in the United States are expected to spend an average of $890.49 per person on holiday gifts, food, decorations, and other seasonal items this year, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics. This represents a 1.3% decrease from last year’s record of $901.99, but it remains the second highest amount recorded in the survey’s 23-year history.
“Time and again, Americans prioritize spending on loved ones for holidays despite economic uncertainty,” said Katherine Cullen, NRF Vice President of Industry and Consumer Insights.
The survey found that 91% of U.S. adults plan to celebrate winter holidays such as Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, which is consistent with previous years. Of the total planned spending, $627.93 is expected to go toward gifts for family and friends, while $262.56 will be allocated for seasonal items like food, decorations, and greeting cards. Families with children are projected to spend about $30 more on gifts compared to other consumers.
Early shopping continues to be common, with 42% of shoppers planning to start before November. The main reasons for shopping early are to spread out their budget (54%) and to avoid last-minute shopping stress (41%). Despite this, most shoppers (60%) expect to complete their holiday purchases in December.
Tariffs are influencing consumer behavior, with 85% of shoppers anticipating higher prices due to tariffs. Nearly two-thirds (63%) plan to do most of their holiday shopping during Thanksgiving weekend, up from 59% last year.
Consumers plan to shop at various locations this season. Online shopping remains the most popular choice, with 55% planning to buy digitally. Grocery stores (46%), department stores (44%), and discount stores (42%) follow as other top destinations.
When asked about preferred gifts, consumers cited gift cards (50%), clothing or accessories (46%), books and other media (27%), personal care or beauty items (23%), and electronics (22%) as their top choices.
The survey included responses from 8,247 adult consumers between October 1 and October 7 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.1 percentage points.
