The Top Consumer Trends Informing 2025 Holiday Shopping Lists

There’s a lot of talk about how AI is changing shopping behavior, but here’s what’s really happening. Consumers aren’t just experimenting with this new technology anymore – they’re infusing it into their everyday lives.

After a year of rapid innovation, AI tools, digital assistants, and high-tech shopping platforms have become a part of how people navigate the world, including how they shop.

But it’s not just the tools that are changing. Holiday shopping habits are shifting faster than anyone expected. Long gone are the days of waiting in line for Black Friday deals. Consumers are starting earlier, tracking prices more closely, and using AI to stretch their budgets.

As shoppers become more intentional about where their hard-earned money goes, their approach to holiday shopping is materializing into something new while their priorities remain familiar. Categories like retail fashion, beauty, electronics, and travel continue to drive the bulk of holiday spend. And while those verticals haven’t changed, the way consumers discover and decide what to buy within them has, creating new opportunities for advertisers to connect with shoppers in more intuitive ways.

2025’s Holiday Rush Is Starting Sooner Than Ever

Thanksgiving may mark the start of the holiday season for most, but by that point, shoppers are already deep into searching for their next must-have item. According to Deloitte, nearly 70% of consumers plan to shop during Thanksgiving week this year, highlighting how early the season’s momentum truly begins.

Much of that early shopping activity is happening alongside a growing reliance on AI. Based on our recent AI Search Report findings, more than 57 percent of consumers say they’ll use AI to assist with holiday shopping.

This shift toward early planning and increased AI usage is driven by both control and convenience. With inflation and tariffs weighing on wallets, consumers are spreading out their spending and using AI tools to find the best deals. In fact, 68 percent now rely on digital tools such as chatbots, price-comparison engines, or AI search assistants to ease their decision fatigue and simplify what was once the most laborious ecommerce task.

Fashion Finds Its Footing in the AI Era

Fashion continues to top holiday wish lists, with clothing and apparel expected to drive $47.6 billion in holiday spend, marking 4.4% YoY growth this season. But the way consumers discover what to wear, and where to buy it, looks very different from years past. 

Our AI Search Report found that 41 percent of consumers plan to use AI shopping assistants for fashion this holiday. But it’s younger shoppers who are redefining what it means to be informed. More than half of Gen Z and millennials have increased how much research they conduct into where products are made.

According to PWC, 63% of shoppers in these generations are choosing resale or upcycled fashion this holiday season while one in three say they’re cutting back consumption to reduce their environmental impact. Additionally, 34% of Gen Z (compared to 27% overall) say that factors like sustainability and wellness heavily influence their holiday purchases, and they’re also the most likely group to check labels before buying food.

It’s a subtle but meaningful shift that’s changing how consumers connect with the brands they love and wear on a day-to-day basis.

The New Face of Holiday Glam

Beauty is having a moment this holiday season. What was once a last-minute grab-and-go category has evolved into a highly considered, highly personal part of gift giving. Sixty percent of consumers plan to shop both online and in-store this year with fragrance leading the way, followed by skincare, makeup, and haircare.

This growing blend of digital discovery and traditional retail is fueling major momentum for the category. Online beauty revenue is projected to surge 160 percent during Cyber Week and grow nearly 10 percent YoY. And with one in three consumers planning to give beauty products as gifts, beauty remains a reliable centerpiece of holiday spending this shopping season.

Gadgets Getting the Most Love Under the Tree

Electronics continue to dominate holiday shopping lists, striking the balance between practicality and excitement that few other categories can match. This year, 80 percent of consumers say they'll spend the same or more on tech than they did last year, with 36 percent planning to spend over $300 on devices and accessories.

That trend reflects a larger sense of steady confidence among holiday shoppers. Our recent holiday survey suggests that 59 percent of shoppers are planning to spend about the same on gifts this year, even as economic pressures continue to shape how consumers think about value. 

As a result, shoppers are rethinking how they approach their new purchases, and many are turning to AI for support. Fifty-eight percent of consumers say they’re most likely to use an AI shopping assistant for electronics this holiday season – clearly using this newfound technology as a crutch to compare specs with more confidence and less effort.

Holiday Travel Takes Off

If there’s one category that’s mastered the balance between prioritizing connection and experience amid tighter budgets, it’s travel. Nearly half of Americans plan to hit the road or take to the skies, with most heading home to see friends and family. Among them, millennials are the most likely to increase their travel spend, with 38 percent boosting their budgets compared to 28 percent of travelers overall.

To make those trips happen, shoppers are getting creative. Ten percent of consumers plan to use Buy Now, Pay Later apps to help finance holiday travel, while others are adjusting destinations or timelines to stay within budget.

They're also leaning on tech to make planning easier. More than three in four millennials say they're likely to use AI for travel recommendations, and 68 percent plan to use it to compare flights, helping take the stress out of seasonal travel.

Turning Holiday Trends Into Opportunity

Holiday shopping behavior is shifting faster than most marketers are used to keeping up with. The rate at which consumers are discovering products is happening earlier, attention is more fragmented, and AI is quickly becoming the main starting point for purchase decisions. Whether or not you’re ready, the signals being pointed our way are impossible to ignore.

In a landscape changing at breakneck speeds, staying visible across emerging surfaces isn’t optional. Don’t take this holiday season as a wait-and-see moment for your next campaign. Take it as a chance to evolve your media mix, rethink when and where your brand is showing up in these new discovery platforms, and meet consumers in the exact moments they express intent. 

At adMarketplace, we help advertisers do just that. Our native search solutions are built to capture early seasonal intent across AI-powered channels, browser environments, and the BNPL shopping apps — way before that first holiday sale hits your inbox.