Salesforce reports that ecommerce purchases for the 2025 holiday season hit a new high, with $336.6 billion being spent during Cyber Week alone. With the holiday season still to come, retailers are preparing to welcome shoppers in 2026, even as shoppers’ shopping habits continue to shift. Whether it’s past trends or new features. Here are trends that are influencing shopping this holiday season in 2026, according to the Salsify 2026 Holiday Pulse Report.
Holiday Spending Is Expected to Remain Strong
Despite the lingering economic uncertainties, over half of consumers (51%) intend to spend approximately the same amount as they did during the 2025 holiday season. This indicates that many families are still shopping during the holidays.
Millennials Could Lead Holiday Spending
The millennial generation seems to be most favorable to spending more on their vacations among major generations, with 33% saying they would spend more. They are followed by Gen Z (28%), Gen X (19%), and baby boomers (10%).
U.K. Shoppers Are Most Likely to Increase Spending
The UK has the highest intentions to increase their spending during the holiday season (26%), closely followed by the U.S. (25%) and Canada (18%) across the markets.
Black Friday Remains a Major Shopping Event
Black Friday remains a consumer favorite with 73% of consumers planning to take part in the shopping frenzy. The majority of consumers plan to make online purchases or purchase via online and offline channels rather than just in a store.
Cyber Monday Still Draws Millions of Shoppers
Cyber Monday is still one of the largest e-commerce days of the year, and 61% of consumers are set to shop on it. There is especially high interest in the United States, and baby boomers also have higher participation than in previous years.
Consumers Are Starting Holiday Shopping Earlier
Holiday shopping is starting earlier. Almost a quarter of consumers will begin their gift shopping in January-April, and October and November are the peak shopping months.
Omnichannel Shopping Continues to Grow
Consumers are getting more and more proficient in multi-channel shopping. Some study products online before making purchases in the store, and others really study the products before purchasing through ecommerce sites.
Brand Values Are Driving Purchases
While price is definitely important, many consumers are also looking at company values when selecting a product. Sustainability, good business practice, and clear brand communication remain key drivers of consumer buying.
AI Is Becoming Part of Holiday Shopping
AI is being leveraged more and more to create products.AI is increasingly involved in product discovery. Nearly 40% of consumers say they’d use AI tools to help them discover gift ideas, prompting brands to ensure their product information is optimized for AI-powered search and shopping assistants.
Retailers Are Planning Earlier Than Ever
Brands are also getting a head start on the holiday shopping, with consumers shopping sooner. Retailers are getting ready for product pages, promotions, and gift guides, as well as personalised marketing campaigns, well before the official holiday season.
