Here's what Americans actually did during the holidays

One in five Americans (18%) said they spent more on gifts during the holidays than they intended, according to new polling from the Ipsos Consumer Tracker

The author(s)
  • Matt Carmichael What the Future editor
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The Ipsos Consumer Tracker asks Americans questions about culture, the economy and the forces that shape our lives. Here's one thing we learned this week.

Chart showing how people behaved over the holidays


Why we asked: We always ask what people plan for the holidays. This year, we decided to see what they actually did.

What we found: One in five (and a quarter of 18- to 34-year-olds) said they spent more on gifts than they intended (see next question about budgets). But twice as many (37%) said they kept on budget. One in twenty said they were the victim of so-called package stealing “porch-pirates” (but twice as many in urban areas). Only one in five people took time off work.

Half of people said they did most of their shopping online, a number that increased with income.

More insights from this wave of the Ipsos Consumer Tracker:

Home, office or hybrid? How Americans want to work is slowly shifting

Most think tariffs will increase prices, but aren’t doing anything about it

More people want brands to stay out of political and social issues

New signs show Americans are worried about budgets

The Ipsos Care-o-Meter: What does America know about vs. what does America care about

Americans think 2025 will be a pretty flat year

The author(s)
  • Matt Carmichael What the Future editor

Society