Christmas Sales by the Numbers: How Americans Shop During the Holiday Season

If you ever wanted to replace the term ‘holiday season,’ it could easily be called the ‘shopping season.’ You can’t have a celebration without spending on party essentials for New Year’s Eve, food and beverages for Thanksgiving, gifts, and attire for Halloween. Are we missing an event? Oh yes, the much-awaited arrival of Santa Claus during Christmas, for which you need to buy gifts, home décor items, and much more. All this can put a hole in the bank accounts of many Americans. So, let’s look at some of the economic behaviors and trends that shape consumer behavior during the Christmas season.

Why Christmas Still Shapes American Spending Habits?

We’ll begin by discussing how important Christmas is to the people living in America.

According to the numbers, 90% of Americans in different states celebrate Christmas. This number stood at 96% in 2005, indicating there hasn’t been a significant decline in the number of people celebrating this occasion. Such high numbers make Christmas a major attraction for commercial activities during this season.

Recorded Sales and Unprecedented Rise

• Holiday sales hit a record $994 billion in 2024, showcasing strong consumer confidence and spending power.
• 2025 is expected to cross the $1 trillion mark, driven by continued demand for gifts and seasonal purchases.
• History suggests this forecast may be conservative—holiday sales often outperform expectations.
• In fact, 2024 sales were initially projected between $979.5 billion and $989 billion, yet they exceeded estimates by a wide margin.
• The $994 billion final figure explains why analysts expect 2025 to outperform predictions as well.
• Holiday spending plays a major role in the U.S. economy, contributing roughly 18–19% of total annual retail sales.

Online Shopping Boom

E-commerce platforms and startups have made it easier for shoppers to find their favorite products during the holidays.

• Salesforce has reported that the online holiday sales have reached a record $282 billion in one season, with a year-on-year growth of 4%.
• During Black Friday 2025, online sales rose sharply to $8.6 billion by early evening. This meant a nearly 10% increase compared to previous years.
• As for the sales on Cyber Monday, being one of the biggest online shopping days of the year, online sales have reached $14 billion in recent years.

Timelines and Behaviors of Customers

There have been different patterns and preferences among customers on when they shop. Here’s what online surveys and other sources uncover.

• While almost half (48%) of the customers shop at the beginning of Christmas, 65% start their shopping routine by the end of November.
• Only 10% of the audience completes their shopping by early December, meaning the rest are still waiting for the peak season deals to save money.
• December 15th to 24th is the peak shopping season, which sees the highest volume of online and in-store purchases.

What Do Americans Actually Buy?

According to Channel NewsAsia, Americans are holding back on spending too much on their Christmas shopping. One of the biggest reasons for this is the U.S. tariffs on imported goods.

Despite such a drop in sales, here are some of the common products and categories that shoppers buy.

• Electronics and Apparel: Electronics account for $55 billion in online holiday sales, and $46 billion in sales generated with shoppers buying electronic products.
• Gifting: According to Statista, U.S. consumers plan to spend an average of $1,014 on holiday gifting.

Look Out for Deals and Discounts

Holiday shopping is as much about psychology as it is about spending. That’s why, reportedly, 79% of American shoppers are actively searching for holiday discounts.

This data shows that many holiday shoppers are conscious of prices and how much they spend. According to other numbers, more than half of the holiday shoppers search for coupons or deals online before making purchases.

The Final Word

From huge retail sales figures to nuanced shifts in shopping behavior, the statistics clearly show that Christmas remains a central economic driver in American life. While traditions shape the cultural backdrop, consumer behavior, supercharged by digital innovation, deal-seeking, and evolving holiday shopping trends, influences how, when, and what Americans buy during the holiday season.

As the holiday shopping landscape continues to evolve, understanding these statistics is essential for retailers, marketers, and consumers alike.