Minty conducted a national study of 1,015 U.S. holiday shoppers to understand what’s shaping purchase decisions heading into the 2026 holiday season. The findings point to a shopper who isn’t simply pulling back. They’re recalibrating: starting earlier, comparing harder, and using more tools to make every dollar go further.
Inflation is still very much part of the picture. But instead of retreating, shoppers are becoming more deliberate, resourceful, and confident in how they spend.
Inflation Is Changing How Shoppers Spend
91% of shoppers are concerned about inflation, yet 42% plan to spend more than they did last year.
The shift is in how they’re spending. Shoppers are putting more effort into finding the right price, waiting for the right moment, and using more tools before they commit to a purchase.
For brands, value is no longer just a message for the most price-sensitive shopper. It’s shaping the broader holiday market.
The Holiday Season Is Becoming a Longer Game
The traditional holiday calendar is getting harder to define. Shoppers are starting earlier, staying active later, and participating in more sales moments throughout the season. One in four begins before October, while nearly two-thirds are still shopping in December. Cyber Week still matters, but it’s increasingly one moment in a much longer shopping journey.
For brands, that means thinking beyond a single peak period and building relevance across the full season, from early research and deal hunting through last-minute purchases.
Value-Seeking Shoppers May Be More Valuable Than You Think
Looking for a deal doesn’t necessarily mean looking to spend less. Cashback and savings app users plan to spend 30% more than non-users this holiday season. They’re also more likely to increase their spending and more likely to use AI-powered shopping tools. It challenges the assumption that a value-conscious shopper is automatically a lower-value customer. For many shoppers, finding a better price, earning Cashback, or having savings surfaced automatically can create more confidence in a purchase.
The goal isn’t necessarily to spend as little as possible. It’s to feel like they’re getting more from what they spend.
AI Is Becoming Part of the Holiday Experience
AI is another piece of the shift, and shoppers are using it for much more than finding the best deal. They’re turning to AI for gift inspiration, holiday messages, menus, planning, and other parts of the season.AI is starting to influence decisions earlier, often before a shopper has settled on a product, retailer, or even category.
For brands, that creates a new kind of discovery moment. Being part of the recommendation can matter before a shopper ever reaches a traditional search engine or retailer site. The study also uncovered surprising ways this behavior extends into holiday gifting, including how budget pressure and AI may be changing who shoppers buy for.
Go Deeper Into the 2026 Holiday Shopper
These findings are only part of the story. The full Smart Shopper Holiday Study digs deeper into holiday spending plans, shopping timelines, savings behavior, AI adoption, and some of the more unexpected ways shoppers are approaching gifting this year.
Download the Full Smart Shopper Holiday Study
Want to hear the research unpacked? Minty also hosted a webinar exploring the findings and what they mean for brands heading into the holiday season.
Watch the Smart Shopper Holiday Study Webinar
About Minty
Minty is the AI shopping companion proactively unleashing savings that matter most for smart shoppers, creating more loyalty for the brands they shop.
As the pioneer of Proactive Commerce, Minty reaches hundreds of millions of shoppers and is ranked a top 5 eCommerce tool.