A Bank of America survey found early-to-mid-December plans outnumbered Black Friday plans among respondents, offering a snapshot of when consumers expect to make most holiday purchases.
Respondents were asked when they expected to do most holiday shopping. Twenty-nine percent selected early to mid-December, while 17% named Black Friday. Compared with 2025, the December share increased 10 percentage points, and Black Friday’s share declined eight points. The results describe intended timing, not when purchases will actually peak.
Ipsos conducted the online survey Sept. 10-12 through its KnowledgePanel, using a nationally representative probability sample of 2,062 U.S. adults age 18 or older. The margin of sampling error was ±2.2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. Bank of America released the findings Oct. 29.
A separate National Retail Federation (NRF) poll found that 64% of consumers considered Thanksgiving weekend a likely time to make most of their holiday purchases. The figure was 63% in 2025. The NRF surveyed 8,094 adults Oct. 1-7, with a margin of error of ±1.1 percentage points. Because the polls asked about different shopping windows and were conducted on different dates, their results are not directly comparable.
In the Bank of America survey, 48% expected to spend about the same as the previous holiday season, 39% expected to spend less and 12% planned to spend more. The NRF found that 56% said the economy would affect their holiday spending plans; among those respondents, 43% planned to shop sales more often. The polls do not establish that these budget considerations determined shoppers’ timing.
Separate transaction data from Bank of America Institute showed aggregated credit and debit card spending per household was 6.2% higher year over year in September, or 5.1% higher excluding gasoline. Both growth rates ranked third strongest over the past four years. The data track spending activity rather than plans for when consumers will buy holiday gifts.
