• by Maria Bailey , Columnist, May 23, 2025

It’s not too soon to focus on the 2025 holiday season with potential tariff increases and changing consumer behaviors. In fact, U.S. mothers start shopping for deals as early as July.  Moms spend $1.6 trillion a year in the U.S. economy and are the decision-makers when it comes to holiday expenditures. We surveyed 500 moms across the U.S. on what matters to them as they gear up for the upcoming holiday gift-buying season.

According to the survey, 81% of moms are concerned about the impact of tariffs on their families, and 58% intend to change their shopping habits this year for the holidays. They are concerned foremost about groceries, followed by clothing and shoes, home goods and appliances, cars, electronics, and toys.

Seventy percent of respondents are worried about how tariffs on toys will impact their holiday shopping. Moms expressed concern about increased prices (84%), limited choices 51%, limited distribution 39%, online sellouts (36%) and the scarcity of hot toys (27%).

When asked about how they would adapt their shopping strategies, the majority said they would limit the number of toys their child receives, while 46% would consider purchasing experiences over toys. In a nod to sustainable practices and a bit of ingenuity, 37% of moms said they would sell toys that are no longer used to offset the cost of new ones, and 33% said  they would purchase gently used items from thrift stores or resell sites as gifts.  Moms also look to other moms for good advice: 32% said they would take recommendations from other moms for saving money, and 33% said they would use social media to identify sales.

Notably, when asked if they were willing to pay a little more for a product made in the U.S. to avoid tariffs, 30% said yes, 11% said no, and almost 60% said it depends on the price difference. It was an even split between moms who shop websites or retailers that highlight products made in the U.S., and those that do not. When it comes to toys, 63% admitted that they do not seek out American-made toys.

Winning Shoppers This Holiday Season

As brands prepare to win sales this holiday season, it is important to design marketing tactics that meet buyers where they are stretching their family dollars.  Here are three marketing tactics to add to your plans:

-- Bundle products that present a higher perceived value to shoppers.

-- Host toy trade-in days or promotions that give moms credit toward purchasing new toys in return for trading in old toys.  Donate old toys to earn social responsibility points with moms.

-- Engage with mom influencers focused on frugal living and smart shopping, as their audiences will grow this holiday season.

Start now to develop a dynamic holiday marketing plan that will evolve with ever-changing factors.   Preparation will allow your brand to capture sales for moms this year.