Bread Financial says ChatGPT is officially part of the holiday shopping mix in 2025, with 13% of shoppers planning to use the AI tool for gift inspiration this season. While AI still trails traditional channels like search and social, the study suggests it is becoming a meaningful first step in shopping journeys that begin and end online.
How shoppers are finding gift ideas
In Bread Financial’s Holiday Look Ahead survey, just 13% of respondents say they will lean on ChatGPT for holiday gift inspiration this year. That puts AI behind more established sources such as online search at 40%, social media at 37%, TV at 27% and retailer gift guides at 19%.
Even so, AI‑assisted search is “almost certain to grow” in future holidays as more consumers test conversational tools for idea generation, price checking and product comparison. For retailers, that means optimizing only for traditional channels will increasingly miss a cohort of early AI adopters.
Who is using ChatGPT for holiday shopping
The survey shows that shoppers turning to ChatGPT skew younger and more male. About two‑thirds of these AI adopters come from Gen Z and Millennial age groups, and they are roughly twice as likely to be male (66%) as female (34%). This aligns with broader patterns of early tech adoption, where younger demographics and male consumers often try emerging tools first.
These users are also more digitally fluent overall. According to Bread Financial, people using ChatGPT for gift inspiration are more likely than average to shop via digital marketplaces, social media and retailer apps, reinforcing the idea that AI is another layer in an already online‑heavy shopping journey.
How ChatGPT shoppers like to pay
When it comes to payments, ChatGPT users still lean on everyday tools like debit cards and cash, but they show a stronger appetite than the overall population for financing options. Bread Financial reports that these shoppers’ use of “pay over time” solutions—combining buy now, pay later with installment loans—and credit cards “significantly exceeds” the broader holiday shopper average.
For a lender and card issuer like Bread Financial, that profile matters. AI‑engaged shoppers who are more open to financing could be a prime audience for co‑branded credit, installment offers and tailored pay‑over‑time promotions surfaced alongside AI‑driven discovery.
What this means for holiday 2025 marketing
The key takeaway from Bread Financial is that AI‑assisted search is emerging as a genuine first step in holiday shopping journeys, particularly for a young, digital‑first segment. While traditional marketing levers—sales events, promotions, gift guides, remain important, retailers that have optimized for tools like ChatGPT may gain a competitive edge.
For brands, that can include structuring product data for conversational queries, ensuring their offers and categories are easy for AI to interpret, and aligning messaging across search, social, retailer apps and AI answers. As more shoppers ask AI for “ideas” rather than searching for specific SKUs, being present in that inspiration layer could influence what gets added to carts later.
