Gift card and payment finance services provider Blackhawk Network characterized holiday 2025 shopping behavior of consumers in the United States as “defensive, as shoppers bought with a plan in hand, adherence to budgets in mind and an eye turned toward bargains.”
Some 90% of consumers surveyed by Blackhawk (BHN) reported they used promotions to save money as the year wound down.
BHN said the average 2025 holiday gift spend by households demonstrated affluent consumers were by far the biggest spenders. Those with a household income above $75,000 annually spent $1,153 on gifts, while households earning $35,000 to $75,000 spent $684, and households earning less than $35,000 spent $439.
Some 27% of consumers polled by Blackhawk reported buying fewer gifts in the 2025 holidays due to concerns about budgets and prices. Moreover, 24% reported shopping earlier than in the past to give themselves more time to track down bargains. When it comes to timing, 31% of consumers said they found the best bargains on Black Friday.
According to BHN, younger shoppers, with lower disposable incomes and higher rates of unemployment, were especially eager to save money. In their holiday shopping, younger consumers were more likely to look for deals on social media, price comparison tools and deal forums such as Slickdeals. Older consumers were more likely to search for deals on brand websites and via email. In addition, 73% of younger shoppers used AI in holiday shopping, up eight points from 2024.
BHN paid particular attention to gift card use in the holidays, noting total amounts for cards gifted and intended overspend advanced again during the 2025 holidays. Consumers received three gift cards on average during the latest holiday season, with a total value of $236, versus $161 in 2023 and $206 in 2024. Consumers planned to spend $108 more than the value of the gift cards they received post-holidays, Blackhawk added.
The company highlighted some differences between the use of gift cards among younger and older consumers. For example, 71% of younger shoppers bought a gift card instead of a physical gift due to concerns about spending, versus 49% of older shoppers. Then, 73% of younger shoppers exchanged loyalty points for gifts overall, and among those who redeemed points, gift cards were the top choice at 42%. This compares to 57% of older shoppers.
