In a survey of consumers in the United States, agentic messaging platform Cordial found that a large percentage of consumers seeking holiday bargains might tap third-party AI providers for shopping assistance.
In Cordial’s report, “Holiday 2026: Consumer Shopping Insights,” 43% of consumers said they anticipate their spending to remain about the same, with 35% of shoppers planning to spend more this year and 23% planning to spend less. Only 11% of respondents said they expect to spend significantly more, Cordial noted.
Spending confidence varies by generation, with 48% of Gen Zers expecting to spend more this year compared to 16% of Baby Boomers. In all, 58% of Boomers expect to spend about the same amount as last year. Many Gen Zers, from about 14 to 27 years of age, are or have been recent entrants into the job market, if they’ve entered at all, so the financial resources they have to spend have likely been gaining from a relatively small dollars-spend base.
In general, price sensitivity has been weighing on purchasing decisions. According to the report, 55% of consumers said discounts and promotions will matter more this holiday season than they did in the period last year, with 26% saying they will matter much more. Cordial characterized Millennials as the most deal-focused generation, with 61% saying price and promotions are increasingly important.
Although consumers may look for promotions, free shipping remains a major factor in purchasing, with 61% of survey respondents saying it will influence where they decide to shop compared with 45% who cited discounts.
As they holiday shop, 42% of consumers said they are at least somewhat likely to use artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT or Claude this year, according to the Cordial survey. Millennials lead adoption, with 54% saying they are likely to use AI tools versus 19% of Boomers. As for execution, 34% of survey respondents said they are comfortable allowing an AI agent to automatically complete holiday purchases when based on expressed preferences and budget, while 13% would trust AI to complete purchases without review. Younger generations expressed more comfort tapping artificial intelligence while holiday shopping, with 49% of Millennials and 44% of Gen Z okay with AI-assisted purchasing. Still, consumers remain most comfortable using AI during the research and comparison stages of shopping, with the top AI use cases being price comparison and deal discovery, for 43%, and comparing products or brands, for 38%.
When AI recommends an unfamiliar product or brand, consumers remain cautious with 39% neutral as to purchasing AI-recommended merchandise and an equal proportion saying they are at least somewhat likely to purchase, according to Cordial.
Despite the presence of AI alternatives, retailer websites remain the top destination for holiday research, Cordial pointed out, as 53% of consumers plan to use them to check on holiday deals and promotions. Social media follows at 39%, with adoption varying by generation as 56% of Gen Z ers and 51% of Millennials are opening to using the channel for research versus 12% of Boomers.
Personalization, a critical element in retailer tech initiatives, resonates most with Gen Zers: 25% acknowledged they are influenced by the availability of personalized recommendations when deciding where to shop, just about even with bundles or added value, a consideration for 26%, Cordial noted. By comparison, only 5% of Boomers said they are influenced by personalized recommendations, with 17% influenced by bundles.
Cordial added Black Friday continues to slip as the defining holiday shopping moment, as a quarter of consumers plan to begin shopping in early November, the most popular starting month. In 2025, 20% of consumers planned to begin shopping on Black Friday weekend, just about flat with this year when 19% said they are awaiting the date. The trend of consumers spreading purchases over a longer holiday period, which is a big part of discussion about how the last months of 2026 will fare, especially given major retailers launching holiday initiatives in September and key promotions in early October. Cordial maintained that the lengthening holiday shopping season extends opportunities for brands to engage consumers but also makes it more important for them to deliver relevant messages throughout the entire period
“With the holiday season no longer defined by merely Black Friday and Cyber Monday, consumers will navigate a longer and more complex shopping journey where value, personalization and AI Assistants all play a role,” said Rob Garf, Cordial head of strategy. “Winning this holiday season requires brands to be discoverable by personal shopping agents and deliver relevance and trust to optimize customer profitability.”
