Stagwell’s Harris Poll worked with Mastercard on the research for the latter’s “first-ever” Shopper’s Snapshot that found four trends shaping holiday shopping this year. 

The poll found that six in 10 consumers say “value for money” is the top purchase driver this holiday season. 

The trends being driven by that mindset include “Intentional Holiday Shopping.” 82% of those polled are prioritizing low cost and high impact on gift-giving this year. Thus, 86% are comparing prices across retailers, 84% are assessing reviews, and nearly half are paying with credit cards that earn rewards. 

It may be better to give than receive, but why not do both? 61% of consumers think that’s the way to go this year. Many say they’re buying something for themselves to reach free shipping minimums. (Yeah, let’s go with that).  

AI seems to be impacting all aspects of life these days so why should holiday shopping be different? It’s not, according to the poll which found that 51% of Gen Z and 55% of Millennials are relying on AI to suggest unique gift recommendations.  

According to the Mastercard writeup on the survey, the data shows that 90% of consumers shop in stores during the holidays, with Gen Z leading the window-shopping trend — 81% say they get inspiration from in-store displays. 

At the same time, they’re browsing e-commerce sites (87% of Gen Z and 86% of millennials) and picking up secondhand gifts (82%) along their shopping journeys. Nearly two-thirds of both generations plan to increase or maintain their purchasing of secondhand gifts this year.  

The bottom line, per the report: “Young shoppers aren’t choosing between online and offline or new and vintage. They’re choosing all of it, turning holiday shopping into a connected, omnichannel adventure.”