Omnisend 2026 Survey Finds Early Holiday Shopping Is Becoming A Budget Strategy

In a recent survey by Omnisend, rising grocery costs, household bills and ongoing price pressure are reshaping how consumers across the U.S., Canada, UK and Australia plan to spend during the 2026 holiday season.

The research found that while gifts remain a major purchase category, shoppers are increasingly budgeting for food and hosting, seeking discounts and starting their shopping earlier to manage costs.

The ecommerce marketing platform’s report, Holiday shopping season 2026: Hosting is now more stressful than gift giving, surveyed more than 4,363 consumers across the four markets in August 2026.

The findings show a consumer increasingly focused on household essentials, discounts and strict limits, even as gift giving remains the largest holiday expense category…