Stores regaining ground for holiday shopping|JINHANFAIR Industry News

2026.11.12

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Washington – The share of consumers planning to shop online for holiday gifts and other items this year is the lowest in the past decade.

Although more than half (53%) of consumers surveyed by the National Retail Federation (NRF) plan to shop online this season, Boomers are the only age cohort that plan to do more online shopping than they did in 2025. In addition, that 53% is down from the peak of 60% in 2020; it’s also down from the previous low over the past 11 years – which was 55% in 2018.

“This backs up a broader trend that we’ve been seeing in our holiday data,” said Allison Zeller, NRF‘s VP of industry and consumer insights. “And it really backs the trend that shoppers are being more intentional this year than they have in the past.”

The top reasons cited by survey respondents for not shopping online included:

▶I prefer to see & evaluate gifts and other holiday items before purchasing (38%)

▶Shopping in person allows me to be more thoughtful about the gifts I purchase (23%)

▶I enjoy the holiday ambiance (décor, music, etc.) when shopping in store (22%)

▶Shopping in person helps me stick to my budget (17%)

Most consumers are also bracing for higher prices this season, NRF executives said during the association’s 2026 Winter Holiday Consumer Outlook webinar on Oct. 28. The survey showed 64% expect product prices to be higher specifically because of tariffs. Slightly more than half (56%) said the economy will have an impact on their holiday plans – the highest percentage to say so since NRF’s 2011 holiday survey.

Despite economic concerns weighing on all but the wealthiest households, NRF is still predicting holiday season sales to ring in above $1 trillion for the first time in history. Mark Mathews, NRF’s chief economist, explained the disconnect between the low consumer sentiment and the robust sales forecast.

“Consumers don’t feel great about the economy, about inflation, but they’re not spending their sentiment,” he said. “They’re spending what’s in their wallets right now.”