In 2024, consumers in the United States expected to spend over one thousand U.S. dollars on holiday gifts on average. This is the first time the projected spending estimate reached that one thousand-dollar-mark. Holiday shopping The Christmas, or holiday season, is the single most critical sales period of the year for many retailers: this period includes days, such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and an increasing amount of Americans also shop online during this busy time. An incredible shopping hubbub is produced during this period, with a staggering 95 percent of U.S. consumers having said they intended to buy something during the Christmas season in 2024. Gift cards and vouchers Christmas is a public holiday in the United States and is celebrated on December 25th each year. It is known as a big economic stimulus for many people to purchase Christmas gifts for their beloved family and friends. After Christmas and New Year’s Eve, retail sales often peak again in January as many people redeem their received Christmas gift cards and vouchers. In fact, over half of U.S. consumers planned to buy gift cards or gift certificates for others. It is a popular gifting option, with many Americans indicating that it can be very convenient.

In 2024, about 52 percent of consumers in the United States intended to spend roughly the same amount of money on Christmas goods as they did in the respective previous year. A quarter of American respondents intended to spend less for Christmas, whilst 20 percent expected to spend more. Christmas celebrations in the U.S. In the United States, Christmas is one of the biggest holidays of the year: according to a survey, roughly eight and a half out of 10 Americans stated they would celebrate the holiday. Only about 10 percent of Americans were not planning to partake in any celebrations. Holiday promotions In the past few years, holiday retail sales in the United States have skyrocketed. In 2023, U.S. holiday retail sales figures reached just over 950 billion U.S. dollars, which was an increase of some 20 billion just compared to the year before. The winter holiday season includes shopping occasions, such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday. On days such as these, retail products are somewhat to significantly cheaper, making them opportune moments for holiday shopping. When asked when they would likely start their holiday shopping, about 40 percent of U.S. consumers said they would begin in November already, i.e., when these major sales events take place.

According to a recent study, average spending per head during the Christmas period in 2023 is expected to vary between just below 700 British pounds in North East to around 980 British pounds in London in the United Kingdom (UK).

This statistic shows the results of a survey conducted in the United States in October to November 2024. U.S. consumers were asked how much they usually plan to spend on Christmas gifts for their children. During the survey, 16 percent of the respondents said that they plan to spend more that $200 on Christmas gifts per child.

Of the average household Christmas budget in Canada, the majority is spent on gifts, according to data compiled in 2023. Decorations were calculated to be the next biggest expenditure, only narrowly beating food. The budget for this data refers to the calculated cost of how much the average Canadian spends on Christmas items, rather than the budget Canadian holiday shoppers set for themselves. Canadian Christmas budgets The holiday season is a busy time in the retail sector, with consumers typically spending more than usual. With so many presents to buy, special events, parties, and gatherings, it is no wonder that the majority of consumers spend even more than they planned for over the Christmas period. A fair share of shoppers exceeded their budget by over one thousand Canadian dollars. But it would appear this spending comes from a place of love, as the consumers in Canada planned to spend the most money on their family. The lingering effects of COVID-19 Whilst it looks like Christmas will not be affected by coronavirus as much as in 2020, consumers still have reservations going into the holiday shopping season, above all crowded stores, and the risks that being in close proximity with many people brings. A further, indirect result of the pandemic is the delayed supply chain. Many shoppers worry that their goods will not reach them in time for Christmas, or that they may not be available at all.

This year, the highest spending on Christmas gifts in Europe is expected to occur in the United Kingdom (UK), where shoppers are expected to spend an average of 336 euros on Christmas gifts. Those living in the Netherlands are set to have the cheapest Christmas when it comes to gift-giving, with an expected spend of 122 euros. The European average sits at 193 euros for Christmas gifts.

Overall expenses for general Christmas celebrations in the UK are expected to exceed 600 euros.

Online Christmas

The same survey found out that invariably, gifts make up the biggest part of Christmas spending by consumers, followed closely by on food. Consumers were expecting to make their Christmas shopping predominantly in-store, however, online channels showed prospects for growth. The average online Christmas budget increased by 4.7 percent, compared to just 2.6 percent improvement expected in in-store shopping for Christmas.

European Christmas retail spending stalls

Typically, during the last quarter of the year, retail sector sees spikes in spending. In 2017 and 2018, Christmas retail spending in Europe saw growth rates of 1.8 percent. This Christmas, however, spending is forecast to stagnate, and drop from the previous levels for many European countries.

The planned expenses for annual Christmas presents in Germany amounted to just over 533 euros per person in 2024. This was an increase of almost 30 euros compared to the previous year.

In the 2024 holiday season, the average Christmas spending on gifts in the United Kingdom (UK) was forecast to be slightly higher compared to the previous year, although this wasn't the case for all categories. In 2024, UK consumers were expected to spend the most money on toys, at around 40 British pounds on a per capita basis.

According to the results of a survey carried out in 2024, Spanish families had one of the highest budgets for Christmas gifts that year, nearly 500 euros. French families planned to spend slightly over 470 euros.

In 2024, about 35 percent of consumers in Italy planned to spend between 100 and 249 euros for Christmas gifts. Only eight percent of surveyed respondents intended to spend between 500 and 999 euros that year.

In 2024, Millennials shared that they planned to spend the most on holiday gifts, with an average of over 870 British pounds each. Consumers aged 79 and over followed, with a planned average spend of about 825 British pounds.

In 2024, on average, Poles will spend more than 1,450 zloty on Christmas, of which 680 zloty will be spent only on gifts.

A survey conducted among Australian shoppers in October 2023 revealed that Gen X consumers were expected to spend the most on Christmas presents during the holiday period, with an estimated average spend per person of around 408 Australian dollars. In comparison, Gen Z's average spend on presents was estimated to come to around 281 Australian dollars.

In 2024, Italians will spend on average 207 euros per capita on Christmas gifts. This consists of a peak in the depicted timeline and especially compared to 2021, when this figure added up to 158 euros.

According to a survey conducted in November 2024, about one-third of Danish consumers shared that they would spend anywhere between 250 and 499 Danish kroner on Christmas gifts. About 13 percent expect to go above the thousand-kroner mark.

Millennials were planning to spend the most on themselves and others during the holiday season in the United States in 2024. The generational cohort was expecting to spend more than 2,200 U.S. dollars on average, with their younger counterparts, Generation Z, planning to spend under 1,800 U.S. dollars on the festive period.

Americans planned to spend 63 U.S. dollars on average on decorations for the holiday season in 2021. This is an increase of almost ten dollars compared to 2015, when consumers spent around 54 U.S. dollars.

Holiday season spending

Home and holiday furnishings, which includes decorations, ranked in fifth place on a list of planned holiday expenditures among American consumers. In 2020, Americans planned to spend approximately 140 U.S. dollars on home and holiday furnishings on average. Gifts topped the list that year with consumers planning to spend around 350 U.S. dollars. When it came to total Christmas spending, most U.S. consumers in 2020 said they would spend around the same amount of money as last Christmas, whilst roughly 15 percent planned on spending more.

Online holiday shopping

During the very busy holiday shopping season, many consumers prefer shopping online in order to avoid the crowds. In fact, in 2020 and 2021, more than nine in ten consumers in the United States used Amazon during the holiday season, making it the most popular e-commerce website for this time of year. In order to keep up with the high demand, Amazon planned to hire about 125 thousand workers ahead of the holiday shopping stretch.

In a survey conducted in October 2023 among Australian consumers, the estimated average spend per person at Christmas in Australia was around 1,479 Australian dollars. During the survey period, it was estimated that the average spend per person on presents during the 2023 holiday period would be around 533 Australian dollars. By comparison, the estimated spending on presents during the same period was just over 370 Australian dollars per person.

In a 2022 survey, over 30 percent of consumers in Belgium stated that they would not spend any money on Christmas decorations that year. Meanwhile, only six percent of survey participants said that they would spend over 100 U.S. dollars.

In 2024, German Christmas gift shoppers were willing to spend the most on smartphones and travel. The survey at hand shows the average maximum amount consumers in Germany are willing to spend on Christmas gifts in 2023.