Holiday Insights & Shopping Trends: 100+ Must Know Stats for Retailers

Understanding holiday insights and shopping trends is crucial for businesses, marketers, and eCommerce professionals looking to maximize their year-end profits. With billions spent globally during the holiday season, having the right data at your fingertips can shape better strategies, improve customer targeting, and boost ROI. In this detailed guide, we’ve compiled 100+ key holiday shopping statistics covering consumer behavior, online vs. in-store trends, mobile usage, shipping expectations, generational habits, and much more.

📈 Holiday Shopping Overview: General Insights

1. Holiday retail sales in the U.S. topped $964.4 billion in 2023.
2. Online holiday sales in the U.S. reached $281 billion in 2023.
3. Global holiday retail sales crossed $5.3 trillion in 2023.
4. 48% of annual retail sales occur during Q4.
5. 70% of shoppers plan to start holiday shopping before Thanksgiving.
6. Cyber Week accounted for over 20% of holiday sales in 2023.
7. 52% of shoppers begin holiday shopping before November 1.
8. Consumers spend an average of $1,131 during the holidays.
9. 30% of shoppers say they overspend during the holidays.
10. 65% of U.S. adults participate in holiday sales like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

🛒 Consumer Behavior & Preferences

11. 87% of consumers look for deals and discounts during the holidays.
12. Free shipping is the #1 driver for online holiday purchases (75%).
13. 54% of shoppers are more likely to purchase from brands with sustainable practices.
14. 82% of holiday shoppers use their phones to compare prices or find deals.
15. 48% of consumers prefer gift cards as holiday gifts.
16. 42% of shoppers say personalization increases their likelihood of buying.
17. Over 60% of consumers research products online before buying in-store.
18. 80% of consumers expect brands to offer seamless omnichannel experiences.
19. 45% of shoppers are influenced by social media in holiday shopping decisions.
20. YouTube and TikTok are rising platforms for gift idea discovery.

🧑‍💻 Online vs In-Store Shopping

21. 57% of holiday purchases were made online in 2023.
22. Brick-and-mortar still accounts for 43% of holiday sales.
23. Curbside pickup increased by 10% during the 2023 season.
24. 41% of online orders during holidays are picked up in-store.
25. Shoppers who use both online and in-store channels spend 30% more.
26. Amazon captured over 38% of total U.S. online holiday spending.
27. Retailers with mobile-friendly sites saw 32% higher conversion rates.
28. Target, Walmart, and Best Buy led omnichannel growth in 2023.
29. In-store foot traffic rose 5% in 2023 compared to 2022.
30. Virtual shopping assistants increased engagement by 22% during holidays.

📱 Mobile Shopping Trends

31. Mobile devices accounted for 60% of all holiday website traffic.
32. Purchases from smartphones made up 47% of total online sales.
33. Mobile conversion rates rose to 3.2% during the 2023 holiday season.
34. 85% of Gen Z shoppers use smartphones to make holiday purchases.
35. Push notifications influenced 28% of mobile users to make a holiday purchase.
36. Mobile wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay) increased usage by 18%.
37. SMS marketing had a 19% click-through rate during holiday campaigns.
38. 60% of mobile shoppers abandon carts due to slow-loading pages.
39. Brands optimizing checkout for mobile saw 27% higher sales.
40. Apps outperformed mobile web with 4x better engagement.

📦 Shipping, Delivery & Returns

41. 63% of holiday shoppers expect free shipping.
42. 42% of shoppers abandon carts if delivery time is too long.
43. 72% of holiday shoppers check return policies before purchasing.
44. Holiday returns account for 13% of total yearly returns.
45. “Buy online, return in-store” options increased customer satisfaction by 30%.
46. Retailers with 2-day shipping saw 21% more conversions.
47. Holiday delivery delays caused a 15% drop in customer loyalty.
48. Eco-friendly packaging is a deciding factor for 35% of shoppers.
49. Return windows extended by 50% during holiday periods.
50. 90% of consumers check expected delivery dates before ordering.

🧓 Generational Shopping Habits

51. Gen Z starts shopping the earliest—often by October.
52. Millennials are the highest-spending holiday demographic.
53. Gen X prioritizes convenience and gift cards.
54. Boomers value in-store experiences more than other groups.
55. Gen Z and Millennials are more influenced by social media trends.
56. Boomers respond best to email promotions.
57. Millennials are 2x more likely to buy from sustainable brands.
58. Gen Z uses TikTok as their top platform for gift discovery.
59. Millennials are the most active users of mobile shopping apps.
60. Gen X is most likely to shop for practical gifts like appliances or tech.

💳 Spending by Category

61. Clothing and accessories top the list with 56% of consumers buying them.
62. 43% of shoppers buy electronics during the holidays.
63. Home goods and decor rise in popularity, with 39% of buyers.
64. 33% of shoppers purchase beauty or self-care products.
65. Gift cards are bought by 48% of holiday shoppers.
66. 25% of holiday spending goes to food and beverages.
67. Toys make up 38% of purchases for households with kids.
68. Books and media are still bought by 22% of holiday shoppers.
69. Luxury goods see a 12% sales spike during the season.
70. Subscription boxes rose in popularity by 20% YoY.

🗓️ Key Shopping Days

71. Black Friday 2023 saw $9.8 billion in online spending.
72. Cyber Monday 2023 hit $12.4 billion in sales.
73. Thanksgiving Day saw $5.6 billion in online sales.
74. Small Business Saturday brought in $17.9 billion in the U.S..
75. Green Monday (2nd Monday of December) grew 9% YoY.
76. Free Shipping Day boosted sales by 18% in 2023.
77. Christmas Eve is a peak day for last-minute in-store sales.
78. Post-Christmas sales account for 8% of holiday revenue.
79. Retailers offering pre-Black Friday deals saw a 14% lift.
80. Singles’ Day (11/11) generated $156 billion in China in 2023.

🌍 Global Holiday Shopping Stats

81. UK shoppers spent £84 billion during the 2023 holiday season.
82. Canada’s holiday retail reached CA$63 billion.
83. India saw a 28% increase in eCommerce holiday spending.
84. Germany’s Christmas sales topped €120 billion.
85. Australia’s holiday retail hit AU$65 billion in 2023.
86. Latin America saw 35% growth in mobile holiday shopping.
87. Alibaba’s 11.11 festival drew 900 million shoppers globally.
88. 40% of global shoppers prefer international brands for holiday gifts.
89. Cross-border eCommerce during holidays rose 20% in 2023.
90. Asia-Pacific markets outpaced global averages in mobile holiday commerce.

📣 Marketing and Advertising Trends

91. Holiday ad spending surpassed $33 billion in the U.S..
92. Social ads drove 34% of traffic to eCommerce stores during holidays.
93. Email marketing contributed 25% of holiday revenue for online stores.
94. Personalized holiday email campaigns had a 12% higher open rate.
95. Video ads on social media increased holiday engagement by 35%.
96. Influencer partnerships surged by 28% in Q4.
97. Google Shopping ads delivered the highest holiday ROAS.
98. Text message marketing converted 13% of holiday leads.
99. Brands using holiday countdowns saw 17% more urgency-driven purchases.
100. AR filters and virtual try-ons doubled user engagement in holiday campaigns.
101. AI-generated gift guides grew 4x in usage across eCommerce platforms.

🎁 Final Thoughts

The holiday shopping season is a high-stakes period filled with opportunities and fierce competition. From understanding what motivates each generation to optimizing for mobile and planning key campaigns around high-traffic dates, these 100+ holiday insights and shopping trends offer a data-driven roadmap to success.

📌 Tip for Marketers & Retailers:

Start planning early, leverage personalization, and integrate online and offline experiences to win the holiday season.