Holiday shoppers will break records this year - but there’s more to it than presents.
Consumers are expected to spend an unprecedented $275.1 billion online from November 1 to December 31, with many stocking up on discounted essentials along with gifts, according to a study published Tuesday by analytics and software firm Adobe.
“While consumers have historically embraced holiday deals to buy gifts or adopt the latest gadgets, many are taking advantage of discounts to stock up on essentials,” Adobe noted.
Month-on-month sales during Cyber Week (November 26-30) are expected to jump 210 percent for clothing basics and 150 percent for personal hygiene products, the study said.
The best deals on gifts depend on the day, Adobe noted. Cyber Monday is best for electronics while Black Friday is projected to be the top day for TVs, toys, apparel, appliances and furniture.
Early November will offer the biggest discounts on essentials - up to 21 percent, Adobe projected.
Multiple holiday shopping projections echo what many experts already know about consumers - inflation and tariffs are forcing household spending cuts.
Consumers are projected to spend a $708 on gifts this year, down $106 from 2024 and $13 from 2025, according to a September analysis from accounting firm PwC.
Some 69 percent of shoppers are worried about tariffs raising prices on holiday purchases, leading a third of them plan to shop earlier so they can avoid increases, consultancy Sprout Social found in a September analysis.
Inflation remains well above the Federal Reserve’s target rate. The Fed’s recent decision to raise its interest rate means borrowing will likely become more expensive.
Those concerns are warranted - federal data estimates that tariffs will cost households around $2,500 this year.
President Donald Trump’s tariffs on multiple foreign countries likely won’t end soon.
Strained relations between the U.S. and Canada seem set to worsen after Washington decided early Tuesday to prohibit roughly $1 billion in Canadian goods, targeting dairy items, motorcycles, and alcohol.
Amid the tariff chaos and other cost concerns, consumers are more likely to turn to AI to find lower prices this year, Adobe’s study said. Consumers will visit retail sites via AI prompts 130 percent more this season than they did in 2025, the study said.
