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A National Retail Federation survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics found 56% of holiday shoppers say the economy will affect their spending plans. Many plan to seek sales, compare prices online or use coupons, while shoppers remain split between starting early and waiting for seasonal promotions.
More than half of holiday shoppers say the state of the economy will affect their spending plans this season, with many planning to look for sales more often, compare prices online or use coupons, according to an annual survey for the National Retail Federation. The results indicate that consumers are weighing holiday traditions against household budgets as retailers enter the year-end shopping period.
In the survey, 56% of holiday shoppers said economic conditions would affect their plans. Among those respondents, 43% plan to shop sales more often, 31% expect to comparison shop online more often and 29% plan to use coupons more often. The figures describe shoppers’ stated intentions, not observed purchases or total spending.
Shopping schedules vary. Forty-three percent plan to start browsing or buying before November, close to the 42% reported for the previous year. Among early starters, half said they want to spread their budgets across the season, while 37% said prices and promotions are too good to miss.
Waiting is also linked to price considerations: 46% of shoppers who plan to begin in November or December said they expect to find the best prices and promotions then. Nearly two-thirds of consumers, 64%, said they are likely to wait until Thanksgiving weekend to complete most of their shopping, compared with 63% the previous year.
How Budget Concerns Shape Shopping
The findings suggest retailers may face shoppers who are willing to buy gifts and preserve seasonal traditions but are paying close attention to price, promotions and value. More frequent sale-seeking, online comparisons and coupon use could influence where customers shop and when they make purchases. The survey does not establish how these intentions will affect retailers’ sales or consumers’ total holiday spending.
For shoppers, the results point to a season in which timing is part of budgeting: some plan to spread purchases over several months, while others expect to wait for major promotions. The figures also show that the holiday shopping period is not limited to a single sales weekend, even as many respondents expect to make most purchases around Thanksgiving.
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Early Starts and Thanksgiving Deals
The survey says 91% of U.S. adults plan to celebrate winter holidays, including Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa. Among holiday shoppers, the share planning to browse or buy before November was 43%, compared with 42% the year before. The report presents these as closely aligned results, rather than evidence of a substantial shift in early shopping.
Consumers also expect to shop across several channels. Online shopping leads, with 53% saying they plan to shop online. Grocery stores and discount stores each drew 43%, while 42% planned to shop at department stores. These are reported destinations shoppers intend to use; the source does not specify how much they expect to spend at each.
NRF commissioned the annual consumer survey, which was conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics. The source material provides selected findings but does not give the survey’s field dates, sample size or margin of error.
“With affordability top of mind, holiday shoppers are taking a thoughtful approach to spending, balancing value with preserving traditions that make the holiday season special.”
— Allison Zeller, NRF vice president of industry and consumer insights
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Survey Details and Spending Outcomes
The source material does not specify when the survey was conducted, how many people were surveyed, its margin of error or the exact wording and methodology behind each question. Those details would help readers judge the precision and representativeness of the results.
The findings report plans and expectations, not completed transactions. It remains unclear whether shoppers will follow through on the strategies they described, how much they will spend, or whether economic conditions or retailer promotions will change their plans as the season progresses. The report also does not provide a forecast for holiday sales.
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What Shoppers and Retailers Watch
As the shopping season unfolds, the next indicators will be whether shoppers’ stated plans translate into actual purchases and how demand is distributed between early-season shopping and Thanksgiving weekend. Retailers’ promotions and the prices consumers encounter may shape those decisions, but the survey does not predict which offers will draw the most business.
Further survey methodology or later sales data would clarify how broadly the findings apply and whether affordability concerns affect spending totals. For now, the report documents consumer intentions ahead of the season; it does not establish final holiday retail performance.
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Key Questions
How many holiday shoppers say the economy will affect their plans?
Fifty-six percent said the state of the economy would affect their holiday spending plans, according to the NRF survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics.
What money-saving strategies do shoppers plan to use?
Among shoppers whose plans will be affected by the economy, 43% plan to seek sales more often, 31% expect to comparison shop online more often and 29% plan to use coupons more often.
When do consumers plan to do most of their holiday shopping?
Sixty-four percent said they are likely to wait until Thanksgiving weekend to do most of their shopping. Separately, 43% plan to begin browsing or buying before November.
Where do shoppers expect to shop?
Online is the leading planned destination, at 53%. Grocery stores and discount stores each were cited by 43% of consumers, and department stores by 42%.
Does the survey show how much consumers will spend?
No. The reported figures describe plans and expectations; the source does not provide a holiday spending forecast or actual purchase totals.
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