Numerator’s annual holiday shopping survey asked over 5,300 consumers to share their celebration, shopping, and spending plans for popular holidays this year. The survey found that most holiday plans are finalized in the two weeks before, food and alcohol are must-haves, and most shoppers will spend over $50 on their celebrations.
Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas will see the highest anticipated spending, with 84% of shoppers expecting to spend more than $100 on Christmas in 2026. Lower-budget holidays included Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, and Cinco de Mayo, when consumers plan to spend less than $50 to celebrate.
If consumers ranked the effort put into their holiday celebrations 1-5 (low key - all out), Christmas (24% reported 5s) and Halloween (18% reported 5s) hold the highest enthusiasm.
Labor Day (26% reported 1s), St. Patrick’s Day (25% reported 1s) New Year’s Eve (24% reported 1s), and Memorial Day (23% reported 1s) rank among the most casual holidays with the lowest effort to celebrate.
Most holidays are planned 1-2 weeks in advance (almost half of consumers prefer this planning period)
Halloween, Hanukkah, and Christmas take longer, 1-2 months to plan
Cinco de Mayo is the most spontaneous holiday celebration, with 35% making plans 1-2 days in advance
Tip: Plan ahead to hit these sweet spots. Host shorter, more robust promotions closer to the desired holiday to move holiday-themed goods.
The only holidays throughout the year in which food is not the #1 purchased item to celebrate are Valentine’s Day and Halloween, because candy (their #1 item purchased) falls under its own category. Alcohol is noted as the second- highest must-have item for half of the year’s holidays.
Tip: Consider using holiday-inspired food and beverage displays throughout your store.
While most holidays are celebrated at home, there is an uptick in driving travel surrounding summer holidays and an increase in flight travel around the winter holidays.
26% expect to drive for Memorial Day
25% expect to drive for Labor Day
9% expect to fly for Hanukkah
8% expect to fly for Christmas
Tip: Ramp up your inventory of grab-and-go items or hot dish offerings around holidays. Traveling consumers will appreciate the convenience and ability to get back on the road quickly.
Source: Numerator 2026 Holiday Preview 1/23/2026 (n=5,339)