2024 Holiday Shopping Survey Results

   By SheSpeaksTeam  Oct 30, 2024

31

For the 12th year in a row, SheSpeaks reached out to our community members and conducted the annual Holiday Shopping Index survey, with more than 1,000 women aged 18-65 from across the U.S. participating.

As the 2024 holiday season approaches, how are SheSpeaks members feeling about and planning for the upcoming holidays.

Perhaps the best word to sum up sentiment towards the 2024 holiday season is “uncertain.”

The majority (51%) of SheSpeaks members reported they plan to spend about the same on holiday shopping this year vs. last year, but the motivating factors behind this spending, and shopping preferences, made it clear that perceptions about the economy is more of a driving force than ever. Optimism about an improving economy is on the rise, but concern about family finances is increasing.

And while it’s clear that a lot of women are going to be on the hunt for deals this season (especially younger shoppers who are feeling especially pinched), they aren’t necessarily willing to wait for Black Friday or Cyber Monday to snag a deal.

Read on to take a closer look at this year’s findings.

What’s On Women’s Minds? Key Takeaways

1. Economic concerns

   1. 16% believe the economy is improving, a 45% increase from last year

   2. However, people feeling “somewhat concerned” about their family’s financial situation increased from 21% in 2023 to 24% in 2024

   3. The economy was named the primary factor affecting holiday shopping by 6.1% more respondents this year

   4. Financial concerns weigh more heavily on younger shoppers, which may influence their overall spending patterns

2. Emotions on The Rise

   1. “Uncertainty” as a top emotion around the holidays is on the rise, with a 28% jump year over year. This is especially the case for younger women

   2. Many older women (30.5%) see the holiday shopping season as a time to be calm and content vs. only 16% of younger shoppers

   3. Younger women are experiencing a wider range of negative emotions, from anxious/scared to frustrated and uncertain

3. Changing Shopping Habits

   1. Store promotions and discounts is the number one factor impacting anticipated holiday spending, reported by 62% of SheSpeaks survey respondents

   2. A whopping 65% of people will start shopping for the holidays before Thanksgiving, and 28% had already started buying gifts in early October

   3. Plans to shop on traditional holiday shopping days decreased this year, with plans to shop on Cyber Monday down 7.5% and Black Friday down 4.1%

   4. Younger women are less likely to participate in shopping days or in-store shopping, while older women participate more in these established events

See the infographic below for even more details from this year’s survey.

What do you think of these results? Do they match your experience and sentiment this holiday season?