The 2026 Holiday Spending Guide

4 Predictions to Land Your Next Customer

Holiday spending isn’t moving. 54% of Americans still plan to spend nothing on holiday travel this year, and the 16% who decided last August not to buy gifts haven’t changed their minds. The brands that grow this season are the ones who can tell which consumers are ready to buy anyway. This guide gives you four predictions and the data behind them.

The 2026 Holiday Spending Guide

Your Buyers Aren't All the Same.

Who keeps spending when prices climb, and how to find them.

Every category has a segment that isn’t changing its habits, no matter what prices do. The problem is finding them. Demographics and past purchase history tell you what a holiday shopper did last year, not what would make her choose you over the competitor running the same promotion. Miss that distinction and you lose twice: discounting to buyers who never needed it, and overlooking the ones ready to pay full price. Resonate reads values and motivations, which is where those buyers actually show up.

31.2 %

will keep travel and leisure spending the same

Nearly a third of consumers aren't trimming travel and leisure this season, regardless of prices. They're the clearest full-price opportunity in the report.
51.1 M

will shop only on days known for sales

The sale-anticipating market is growing. In electronics, 23% now time purchases to sales, up from 21.5% at the start of the year, so awareness has to land six to eight weeks before Black Friday.
1 in 10

holiday shoppers will buy through social media

Social commerce hasn't grown year over year and holds about a tenth of market share. Heavy TikTok or Instagram store investment is the wrong bet this season.

Stop Reacting. Start Predicting.

Know what shoppers will do three months from now, not three months ago.

Resonate predicts who will buy, what they’ll choose, and when they’ll act. Take that into your Q4 campaigns instead of last year’s playbook.

Download the 2026 Holiday Spending Guide

Four predictions about where your holiday revenue will actually come from, and the consumer data behind each one.

Two individuals with the same age, income, and ZIP code both plan a holiday trip. One is chasing excitement and family tradition. The other is after independence. Your segmentation puts them in the same audience; their motivations mean they’ll respond to completely different campaigns. This guide shows you how to tell them apart and reach each one with the message that moves them.

CORP 26 Consumer Trends PT53 WP

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