91%
of U.S. adults planned to celebrate winter holidays
The 2025 survey includes winter holidays such as Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.
Source: National Retail Federation holiday survey, October 16, 2025Holiday shopping reference
Holiday shopping statistics: U.S. consumer habits for 2025.
A quick, source-backed look at how Americans planned, timed and spent on the 2025 winter holiday season.
Last updated October 13, 2026
At a glance
The numbers behind the season.
Holiday shopping touches gifts, decorations, food and the small traditions that make the season feel personal. This page gathers recent U.S. figures from the National Retail Federation and U.S. Census Bureau in one easy-to-cite place. Each statistic links to its original source.
$890.49
average planned spend per person
That planned amount covered gifts, food, decorations and other seasonal items in the NRF’s 2025 consumer survey.
Source: National Retail Federation holiday survey, October 16, 2025$627.93
of planned spending went to gifts
The same survey reported $262.56 for seasonal items, including food or candy, decorations and greeting cards.
Source: National Retail Federation holiday survey, October 16, 202542%
planned to start shopping before November
Among shoppers planning an early start, spreading out the budget and avoiding last-minute stress were the leading reasons.
Source: National Retail Federation holiday survey, October 16, 202560%
expected to finish shopping in December
Early browsing did not eliminate December’s importance for holiday purchases.
Source: National Retail Federation holiday survey, October 16, 20254.1%
growth in holiday retail sales from November through December 2025
The Retail Monitor measured 2025 holiday sales growth over the same period in 2024.
Source: CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor, January 12, 2026$316.1B
in seasonally adjusted U.S. retail e-commerce sales during Q4 2025
The Census Bureau reported that e-commerce represented 16.6% of total retail sales in the quarter.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales, March 10, 2026Method and sources
How to read these figures.
Consumer-planning figures come from the National Retail Federation’s 2025 holiday survey, conducted with Prosper Insights & Analytics. Retail sales figures come from the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor and the U.S. Census Bureau’s quarterly retail e-commerce release. Figures describe U.S. consumers or U.S. retail activity, as identified by the original publisher.
Sources were checked on October 13, 2026. This page will be reviewed about monthly during the holiday season, or sooner when a primary source releases material new figures.
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Suggested citation: The Christmas Sweet, “Holiday Shopping Statistics: U.S. Consumer Habits for 2025,” updated October 13, 2026. Please link to the specific statistic above and its original source.