Consumers are approaching the 2025 holiday season with caution, as 78% of respondents to an Omnisend survey said they planned to spend less than last year, while 60% plan to keep total holiday spend below $500.
As they consider their spending options, 47% of survey respondents expect to incur post-holiday debt, totaling $55 billion, or an average of $213 per adult, according to the email and SMS marketing platform operator. In another move to stretch budgets, 45% of consumers surveyed are considering using buy now, pay later for gifts, with 18% saying they will, 27% saying they might.
Omnisend noted that, when consumers address reasons to cut back spending in the 2025 holidays:
- 45% blame rising prices
- 19% identify tariffs and higher import costs
- 16% assert they’re proactively avoiding debt.
A tariff effect already is visible, Ominsend noted, as 61% of consumers said duties have altered their holiday shopping plans. Among those who have experienced an effect, 33% report higher prices on select items, 19% are avoiding China-based platforms like Temu and Shein, and 16% plan to buy fewer or smaller gifts.
“Households are on a tighter budget in 2025,” said Marty Bauer, Omnisend e-commerce expert, in announcing the survey results. “Inflation has ticked back up, and new tariffs are pushing some prices higher. Borrowing is still costly, and credit card late payments remain high. When low-cost goods aren’t as cheap as they used to be, families trim lists, buy smaller gifts and look closer to home. It tracks with the broader picture, with tighter rules on China imports and the end of duty-free treatment for many small packages, some of those ultra-cheap online deals have either disappeared, cost more or ship slower.”
