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.
Across the markets, 78% to 84% of respondents said they feel the effect of price increases, while 21% to 27% plan to substantially reduce their holiday spending. In Canada, 33% said they expect to spend less this season than last year, compared with 38% of shoppers in the U.S., 32% in the UK and 35.5% in Australia.
For retailers, the data point to a holiday season where shoppers are still willing to make purchases but are likely to scrutinize price, value and timing more closely. Marty Bauer, senior ecommerce expert at Omnisend, said, “Consumers are getting used to higher prices. They’re not happy about them by any means, but nowadays it’s more of an adaptation than shock.”
The largest share of U.S. consumers, 18%, plans to spend up to $200 across the October to December period. In Canada, the most common anticipated spending range is $200 to $499, selected by 21% of respondents. At the other end of the spectrum, between 30% and 43% of consumers across the four markets plan to allocate $1,000 or more for the season.
Gifts remain central to holiday plans, with 61% to 68% of shoppers expecting to spend on them. Gift cards also retain appeal, with 24% to 38% of respondents saying they plan to buy them. But groceries and entertaining have become a competing budget priority. Consumers expect to put 28% to 45% of their holiday budgets toward groceries for hosting festivities.
More than half of respondents, 53% to 54%, expect to cook or host during the holidays. Yet 33% to 43% expect to spend more on food than last year, and 49% to 56% said they feel significantly more stressed about hosting than they did in 2025.
Bauer said, “At some point, people start feeling as if the occasion itself has been relegated to an ordinary dinner event.”
Shoppers are responding with practical cost-management strategies. Between 35% and 39% plan to actively look for discount codes and coupons, while 26% to 28% expect to begin shopping earlier than usual. The primary motivations include spreading purchases over more paychecks, cited by 29% to 34%, avoiding future price increases and securing limited-time offers.
Despite these efforts, many expect to end the season carrying debt. That includes 40% of respondents in Canada, along with 44% in both the U.S. and UK and 41% in Australia. Omnisend estimates the average expected debt among those consumers at $408 per person.
Build holiday campaigns around shoppers’ cash flow: launch offers early, make savings easy to compare and segment messages by budget and purchase timing. Gifts are competing with food, hosting and household bills. Give shoppers a clear reason to buy and a price that fits their budget.
Omnisend combines ecommerce email and SMS marketing and reports serving more than 150,000 brands. Eligible brands can access free assisted migration, typically completed in about five business days.
Compare costs against your current plan: Omnisend advertises savings of up to 35% versus Klaviyo’s Marketing Email plan, using May 2026 standard public rates and excluding SMS and add ons.
Its internal 2025 data for paid plan merchants reports an average of $79 in attributed ecommerce revenue per $1 spent; use that benchmark alongside your own campaign performance and total costs.
Partner content: This article was produced in partnership with Omnisend.
