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What to Expect This Holiday Season: Shopper Trends & Key Marketing Takeaways

Spending won’t slow for the holidays, but it will be more scrutinized, according to data from Inmar Intelligence. 
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Inmar's "2025 Holiday Forecast Report" predicts shopping journeys to play out across platforms — and rarely in one channel alone. (Click image to expand.)
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Inmar's "2025 Holiday Forecast Report" predicts shopping journeys to play out across platforms — and rarely in one channel alone. (Click image to expand.)

According to data from Inmar Intelligence, shoppers are entering the 2025 holidays with both purpose and pressure. Budget-conscious consumers aren’t canceling celebrations — they’re trading off across categories, turning to private labels and prioritizing meaningful purchases, healthier habits and omnichannel convenience.

Here are three key predictions from Inmar’s “2025 Holiday Forecast Report” that brand marketers and retailers should note now — before holiday budgets lock:

#1 Shoppers will spend with purpose

In 2024, inflation concerns caused 85% of Americans to cut back on discretionary holiday spending. That caution persists in 2025:

  • 50% say they still feel financially strained.
  • Yet nearly 25% plan to spend over $1,000 on gifts.
  • Family (45%), children (35%) and holiday meals (31%) are top priorities.

That doesn’t mean consumers will spend freely. Expect tactical trade-offs, not frugality:

  • 82% plan to cut back on essentials like groceries to afford holiday expenses.
  • Incentive redemption spikes in December, especially in baking — where Inmar has tracked a 222% lift in past holiday activity.
  • 66% said price matters more than brand — store brand purchases see their biggest lift of the year during the holiday season.

For marketers: Expect high demand for incentives, especially in emotional, experience-led categories. Cash-back and rebate offers can sway even high-ticket gift decisions — 25% say they’d spend more on a gift if an offer were included.

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#2 This will be a healthier holiday season

While indulgence used to define the season, health is now influencing purchase behavior. Sixty percent of consumers said they’re actively trying to shop healthier this holiday — a trend fueled in part by the rising use of GLP-1 weight-loss medications, now used by more than 2 million U.S. adults.

Top categories where shoppers are seeking healthier options:

  • Main meals (76%)
  • Snacks (56%)
  • Desserts (44%)

Still, value is non-negotiable:

  • 95% want healthy options that fit their budget.
  • Redemptions for better-for-you products are already up 24% YoY.
  • 48% said sales/coupons help them prioritize health despite rising costs.

For marketers: Promotions for health-focused products — especially those aligned with portion control or mindful eating — are likely to resonate this season. This includes both fresh food and functional beverages, with non-alcoholic drink sales up 25% YoY, rising faster than alcoholic drinks.

# 3 Holiday is the biggest moment for multichannel

Holiday shopping journeys will play out across platforms — and rarely in one channel alone. In-store and online usage are nearly split, with shoppers switching between mobile apps, websites and brick-and-mortar in a nonlinear flow, per the report.

  • 65% will grocery shop in stores; 41% will also use mobile channels.
  • 59% will buy gifts in stores; 50% plan to shop via mobile.
  • 40% will research prices or reviews on their phones while in store.

Plus, digital content engagement typically rises 59% during the holidays vs. fall — making timing and format more critical than ever.

For marketers: Holiday content and offers should be optimized for every touchpoint. A disconnected experience or missed timing window could mean losing out entirely in a highly fluid shopper journey.

Note: Most of the data presented in this report was captured from Inmar’s June 2025 holiday consumer survey of 1,000 U.S. respondents, ages 18-64.

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