Heading into the 2026 holiday season, the retail environment has intensified. Persistent inflation and the anticipation of new tariffs have tempered holiday sales growth to a modest 4.1%. With 1 in 5 holiday shoppers actively planning to tighten their budgets, brands are entering a virtually flat market where growth can no longer rely on a rising category tide. 

Success this season requires playing defense on existing equity while aggressively capturing market share from the competition. Our latest research, surveying over 1,700 U.S. consumers, maps the critical consumer behaviors shaping holiday purchases and provides a playbook for brands to win the upcoming share fight. 

A few things you’ll take away: 

• The Battle for the Undecided: Shoppers are entering the season with open minds and empty carts. A staggering 89% of holiday shoppers begin their journey undecided or browsing, while only 11% have a specific brand locked in, making early discovery a critical battleground. 
• The Rise of “Dupe Culture”: Value is no longer just about low prices. Nearly 25% of Millennial and Gen Z consumers say finding lower-priced alternatives or “dupes” is significantly more important this year, putting brand loyalty to the test. 
• The Concentrated Cyber Window: The purchase window is shrinking. 35% of shoppers now plan to concentrate their buying during the Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday period—a significant 7-percentage-point increase from 2022.
• Mobile as the Transactional Workhorse: While 54% of consumers expect AI search tools to help with their gift research, mobile remains the transactional engine, projected to drive over 50% of total digital holiday sales. 

*For stat sources and more information see PDF download

Download the full report below.