Gift giving in the US is undergoing an identity shift: consumers are still buying tangible products, but 57% believe in giving moments/experiences, not material items. This signals an industry pivot…
US
Retail
simple
US Gifting Occasions Consumer Report 2026
"The real value of gifting lies in the memories or experiences it unlocks. Brands must innovate by making products more emotionally resonant and offering clear value to cater to evolving consumer priorities."
Gift giving in the US is undergoing an identity shift: consumers are still buying tangible products, but 57% believe in giving moments/experiences, not material items. This signals an industry pivot from selling items to selling stories, shared moments and emotional resonance.
At the same time, economic headwinds have split the market. Affluent households keep spending, while budget-constrained shoppers trade down, leading to “giftflation frustration.” The key industry impact is a widening demand for clear value signposts – from sub $25 confidence lanes to premium ladders that effectively justify price with value adds; thus helping every shopper feel smart, not stretched.
The biggest opportunity is to capture incremental growth by packaging products with experiences and tiered reassurance that lets consumers justify a step up. The biggest threat: distant social interactions and continued decline in US births, which contracts social circles and kids-focused occasions, while intensifying the trend of fewer, but higher stakes, gifting moments.
This Report Looks at the Following Areas:
Economic division drives merchandise by threshold and “justified premium” pricing strategies
Declining births altering social circles and gifting preferences
AI-enabled discovery and personalization
Micro gifting and “little luxuries” expanding frequency beyond major holidays
Experiences and meaning compete with material gifts
Collapse All
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
What you need to know
Outlook for Gifting
Opportunities
Short term: Reframe gifts as experiences to stay emotionally relevant
Memory Lane Candle Keepsake
Medium term: Frame self-gifting as emotional maintenance
Long term: Create a “Justified Premium” gifting architecture
THE MARKET
Adapt gifting to the tough economy
Fewer births reshape the gifting market
Technology shapes gifting behavior
Make “circular” a mainstream gifting choice
Market landscape
Winter Holiday spending is being reallocated
Graph 1: per person anticipated winter holiday expenditures on gifts, in current dollars, 2019-25
Father’s Day spending is the fastest growing
Graph 2: anticipated total expenditures, in current dollars, 2015-25
THE CONSUMER
Gifting is anchored in life milestones, not spontaneity
Crack the code of gifting behavior beyond birthdays
Graph 3: gifting occasions, by age, 2025
Target encourages small tokens of appreciation
Gifts are primarily purchased for close social circles
Graph 4: gifting recipient, by race or ethnicity, 2025
Graph 5: gifting recipient, by age, 2025
Gift Lists Go Social
Gift discovery is omnichannel
Consumers look to various sources for gifting support
Graph 6: resources used to find gifts – select responses, by age, 2025
Local Gift Algorithm
Financial and social concerns impact gifting behavior
Budget sensitivity shapes how, not whether, people gift
Graph 7: attitudes toward gifting- any agree, 2025
Reduce regret and make the budget feel intentional
Graph 8: spending per occasion, 2025
Bloomingdales takes ownership of the premium ladder
Experiences and meaning compete with material gifts
Flexible returns and gift cards are paramount to facilitate the gifting experience
Graph 9: items gifted – select responses, by age, 2025
Consumers want to give more than a box
Graph 10: attitudes toward gifting- any agree, 2025
From product to experience: The YETI Strategy
INNOVATION AND MARKETING
Pinterest creates holiday gift guides using search and shopping data
Walmart taps into last-minute gifting
Gifts Under Wraps
Etsy highlights the importance of personalization in gifting
APPENDIX
The US birth rate is on a decline
The consumer
Consumer research questions
Consumer research methodology – US
US generation groups
Abbreviations
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