Holiday Survey Insights: Consumers Choosing Discounts Over Brand Loyalty in 2025
Yes, it’s that time of year again. We’re heading into the holiday shopping season. One final chance for brands to hit their annual targets.
Holiday shopping used to be simple for your consumers. Walk into a store or browse online. Buy what’s popular. That’s it. Shopping’s done.
Not anymore. The times they are a-changin’.
Our recent 2025 Holiday Shopping Trends Survey sent to over 60,000 North American parents revealed something that should make every brand manager take notice: 68% of holiday shoppers now prioritize deals over brand loyalty.
Translation? Parents aren’t just spending less money. They’re changing their shopping strategy altogether. They want deals.
When parents have limited budgets, value wins over their wallet every time.
Consumers Are More Educated Than Ever Before
Parents don’t just walk into stores and look for familiar brands anymore. They research everything online first, read reviews and compare prices across multiple retailers.
It’s all about consumer trust. If they don’t trust you, they aren’t buying from you. Not just during the holiday season. Anytime.
This sounds ominous for brands, but it’s actually creating a significant opportunity for those willing to put in the hard work and win consumers over.
Lesser known brands with great products can now compete directly with established companies. Consumers care more about authenticty and word of mouth than they do about advertising budgets.
Social proof is the engine that powers more sales. If other consumers trust it, they can too, right?
What This Means for Your Strategy This Holiday Season
The consumers shopping this holiday season aren’t the same customers you had five years ago. Like we said, these are different times. They compare prices. They make decisions based on value rather than brand recognition.
They want to stretch their dollars further.
We sent our holiday shopping survey to over 60,000 parents. Here’s what they told us:
If your brand is struggling to connect with today’s value-conscious parents, you’re not alone. Parent Tested Parent Approved specializes in consumer research that reveals what families actually want and a leading awards program that builds the authentic trust consumers demand.
Share your product details with us and we’ll develop a customized approach to help you win over shoppers this holiday season.
Key Insights from the Parent Tested Parent Approved Holiday Shopping Survey:
Budget Reality:
92% plan to maintain or reduce holiday spending due to rising costs
Staying Within Budget:
74% are cutting back on non-essentials
47% will set a strict per-child gift budget
61% say price is the main factor when choosing where to shop
Stretching Their Holiday $$$:
68% are prioritizing discounts over brand loyalty this year
78% are turning to discount retailers
69% plan on starting their shopping earlier
Gift Preferences:
60% prefer experiences over physical gifts
64% still discover gifts through in-store browsing
88% will use Amazon or online marketplaces for at least some of their purchases
What’s Influencing Spending?:
76% say inflation/cost of living is the primary reason for change to holiday spending
Kids Guide Decisions:
63% rely on kids’ requests to guide gift decisions
Methodology:
63,000+ North American parents
83% U.S. residents
96% age 25-55