From Gen Z to AI and the Digital Tools Reshaping the 2025 Shopping Center

With 88% Planning In‑Store Visits, Last‑Minute Holiday Shopping Is Still a Brick‑and‑Mortar Power Play

Nearly 9 in 10 U.S. consumers are still shopping right up to December 25, and the latest ICSC data shows this final stretch is now a structural, not fringe, part of holiday spending behavior. For retailers, that means Super Saturday and the days that follow are no longer “clean-up” days, but a core revenue window that demands full-price, promo, staffing, and experience strategies.

Who is still shopping and when

• 89% of consumers – roughly 238 million U.S. adults – plan to shop in the final two weeks before December 25, matching 2024 and up from 82% in 2023.
• On Super Saturday alone, 76% of adults – about 203 million people – expect to shop, 5 percentage points higher than 2024 and 12 points above 2023.

Late-season isn’t just stragglers; it is now mainstream behavior across age groups. Retailers that treat this weekend like a “second Black Friday” can capture incremental demand from shoppers who purposely wait for better deals and fuller gift lists.

What they are buying and how they spend

• Spending on entertainment and activities has climbed from 25% in 2023 to 27% in 2024 and 31% this year, pointing to rising demand for experiences layered into shopping trips.
• Nearly 6 in 10 dollars spent between now and December 25 will involve a store visit, including click‑and‑collect purchases.

Shoppers are building full‑day outings around shopping centers, mixing retail with dining, movies, and events. That creates opportunities for cross‑tenant promotions and curated holiday “experiences” that encourage longer dwell time and bigger baskets.

Why price and value matter more than ever

• 91% of shoppers say higher prices will affect what they buy, the same level as 2024.
• Within this group, 41% plan to stick to a strict budget, 39% will buy fewer items, and 38% will comparison shop online for the best deals.

Deal‑seeking is a key reason many have waited: 42% are shopping late specifically to find promotions, up from 39% in 2024 and 35% in 2023. Value is now the top deciding factor for 74% of consumers when choosing where to shop, so clear pricing, simple promos, and visible savings are critical levers in the final days.

Budget discipline and shopper confidence

• 66% of consumers say they are on or under budget so far this season.
• Only 15% report being over budget, down from 21% in 2023 and 19% in 2024, suggesting stronger financial discipline despite inflation concerns.

This mix of caution and confidence encourages basket “topping up” during the last days, especially on smaller gifts, self‑gifting, and add‑on items. Retailers can lean into this with well‑merchandised impulse zones, affordable luxuries, and tiered offers that make it easy to spend a little more without breaking a tight budget.

Stores, centers and AI: how they shop

• 88% of shoppers plan to spend in physical stores as delivery deadlines tighten, reinforcing the role of brick‑and‑mortar for last‑minute gifting.
• 79% plan to visit a shopping center or retail property, led by Gen Z at 89% and Millennials at 86%.

Technology is now a default companion for this trip: more than 53% of shoppers plan to use AI tools to compare prices, find deals, and generate gift ideas in the last days before December 25, including 73% of Gen Z and 66% of Millennials. Retailers that provide rich product data, shoppable gift guides, and real‑time pricing that plays well with AI search can influence what ends up in carts both online and in-store.

What this means for retailers

ICSC President and CEO Tom McGee said, “The final weeks of the holiday shopping season are a critical moment for retailers to entice last-minute shoppers, and this year is no exception,” stressing that shoppers still rely on physical stores to secure gifts in time. To stand out, he noted that retailers need to deliver a “memorable, differentiated experience – not just a product and a price tag” if they want to stay part of consumers’ holiday plans in the long term.

That translates into five practical priorities:

• Sharpen value messaging without racing to the bottom on price.
• Staff and stock stores for true peak‑level traffic on Super Saturday and the days after.
• Enhance in‑store pickup and returns to capture last‑minute and post‑gift trips.
• Build experiential elements – from events to dining tie‑ins – that match rising spend on activities.
• Make offers, inventory, and product content AI‑friendly so late‑season digital discovery easily converts to store sales.

For brands that get this right, the countdown to December 25 is not just about clearing shelves, but about deepening loyalty with highly engaged, value‑driven shoppers.