’Tis the season: Inside MBI’s 2025 Holiday Shopping Survey

Our audience is gearing up for the holidays, with big plans for spreading holiday cheer and digging into their wallets to find that perfect, meaningful gift for everyone on their list (including their beloved pets!).

It’s go time

 94% plan to shop for the holidays this year, with an estimated $3.9 billion in total gift spend. That’s not a typo—that’s billions, and it’s all on the table for brands that show up in the right way, at the right time, with the right message.

While plenty of headlines pushed early shopping this year, 66% of our audience said they weren’t starting their shopping until November, meaning most are just beginning to buy right now. 35% actually aren’t even filling up shopping charts until Black Friday or later, suggesting a long, flexible runway for purchases over the next two months. 

What’s driving their purchases

While 62% cited discounts and promotions as a main purchase driver, nearly as many pointed to product reviews (55%). Brand trust (48%) and convenience (48%) also play a significant role in the gifts they plan to purchase. That tells us something important: Price alone isn’t the only thing influencing their decisions. 

When shopping this holiday season, which of the following factors will most influence your purchase decisions?

• discounts and promotions (62%)

• product reviews and recommendations (55%)

• brand reputation and trust (48%)

• convenience (48%)

• free shipping offers (43%)

• easy returns or exchange policies (30%)

• brands that align with my values (22%)

Their behavior reflects that same balance of intentionality. 59% plan to shop both online and in-store this season, exploring all options available to them. Only 30% said they prefer to shop on weekends, suggesting the majority are squeezing their research and purchases between meetings, emails, and everything else on their plates.

What’s in the cart this year

Our audience plans to buy a little bit of everything this year. Top gifting categories include:

• apparel + accessories (68%)

• electronics + gadgets (51%)

• toys + games (50%)

• gift cards (47%)

• beauty (36%) 

• experiences (34%) 

• home goods/decor (30%) 

Notably, our audience overindexes on apparel purchases (68% vs. 55% of shoppers nationally, according to Retail Brew). That’s a major opportunity for fashion brands and DTC retailers looking to reach a high-intent, style-conscious audience.

At the same time, our audience falls below the national average when it comes to gift-card shopping (47% vs. 64%). This likely reflects the deeper emotional investment our readers make in gift-giving. As one respondent shared, “I love trying to find the perfect gift for people. It’s like a little puzzle that makes me feel like Santa Claus.” 

Gift-giving is hard

Despite the desire to find that “perfect gift,” it’s easier said than done. For the 20% of respondents who said they feel stressed by holiday shopping, 84% say it’s because they have a hard time finding the right gift. 

And some stressors reach everyone: 88% recognize that holiday shopping will likely be more expensive this year, and 58% say it feels “harder than ever” to be creative with gift-giving. 

To combat this? They aren’t using AI. Only 25% say they plan to use AI tools to help with brainstorming ideas or finding the best deals. Instead, they’re turning to recommendations from friends (66%), online inspiration (52%), in-store browsing (49%), and...Morning Brew! 78% of Morning Brew readers say they trust us for holiday gifting recommendations.

Wrap(!) up

So whether they're browsing between meetings or hunting down the perfect gift with spreadsheet-level precision, one thing's clear: Our readers are making their lists and checking them more than twice. Happy gifting season from all of us at MBI Insights. 🎁