Key Takeaways
- Nearly a quarter (24%) of U.S. consumers started holiday shopping during the summer, up from 13% in 2025, and the average planned budget rose to $849 from $788.
- Black Friday (65%) remains the top holiday shopping event, but Amazon Prime Day (61%) is closing the gap, while 64% of shoppers plan to buy through a mix of online and physical stores.
Nearly a quarter of American consumers started their holiday shopping before school started this year and are slated to spend more despite continued concerns about prices and the economy, according to new research commissioned by Yahoo DSP.
The survey found 24% of U.S. consumers began holiday shopping during the summer, nearly double the 13% who said the same in 2025. Early fall remains the most popular starting point, with 45% planning to begin their holiday shopping then.
The average planned holiday shopping budget is $849, up $61 from $788 in 2025, while 90% of consumers say they expect to spend the same or more than last year. The cohort expected to spend the most are parents of kids under age 18, averaging $1,126, with Millennial budgets outpacing the norm at $1,044, both well above the $849 overall average.
How Much Will U.S. Consumers Spend Online This 2026 Holiday Season?
The survey was published after Adobe Inc. forecasted U.S. consumers will spend a record $275.1 billion online this holiday season, up 6.7% year over year,. The forecast covering Nov. 1 through Dec. 31, 2026.
Cyber Week, the five-day period between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, is expected to drive $47.5 billion in online sales, up 7.4%. That represents 17.3% of total season spending. Electronics ($63.3 billion, up 5.9%) and apparel ($51.3 billion, up 4.7%) are expected to remain the largest categories. Adobe expects stronger growth in grocery ($26.1 billion, up 10.3%), toys ($9.6 billion, up 9.6%), cosmetics ($9.2 billion, up 9.5%) and furniture ($33.4 billion, up 7.3%).
Which Shopping Events, Channels and Gifts Will Drive Holiday 2026 Sales?
From the Yahoo DSP 2026 Holiday Shopping Study, Black Friday remains a major shopping event, but Prime Day is gaining ground as 65% of consumers plan to shop on Black Friday, while 61% plan to shop during Amazon Prime Day, a significant increase from 2025. More than half (52%) expect to shop on Cyber Monday, and three in four consumers say it can be worth waiting for Thanksgiving, Black Friday or Cyber Monday sales before purchasing certain items.
Holiday inspiration is increasingly omnichannel with 64% of consumers plan to shop through a mix of online and physical stores. In-store browsing inspires 57% of shoppers, friends and family inspire 55%, and social media influences 43%, with social media playing a particularly important role among Gen Z and Millennials.
Gift cards remain the most popular gift— 62% of consumers expect to purchase gift cards this holiday season, followed by fashion or accessories (51%), toys or children’s products (49%), food or beverage gifts (47%) and electronics (46%). Interest in food and beverage gifts, home goods and home improvement gifts increased significantly from 2025.
Holiday shoppers are buying for about seven people, with children, partners and extended family among the most common recipients. Gen Z consumers are particularly likely to exchange gifts with friends (61%), while nearly half of Gen Z (48%) and Millennials (52%) plan to buy a gift for themselves.
