These gift spending statistics bring together the most cited, current consumer survey and retail forecast numbers for
holiday gift spending and major gifting occasions like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day.
If you’re researching gift spending statistics for content, ecommerce planning, or marketing benchmarks, this page focuses on
per-person averages, total seasonal dollars, and high-signal trend indicators.
Key Gift Spending Statistics (Top Highlights)
- Winter holiday spending (U.S.): Consumers planned to spend an average of $890.49 per person in 2025 on holiday gifts, food, decorations, and other seasonal items (NRF survey).
- Winter holiday spending record: Consumers planned an average of $902 per person in 2024 (NRF survey).
- Holiday retail sales milestone: NRF forecasted U.S. holiday retail sales (Nov–Dec) to surpass $1 trillion for the first time in 2025, projecting $1.01T–$1.02T.
- Valentine’s Day gift spending: NRF projected $29.1 billion total Valentine’s Day spending in 2026, with an average of $199.78 per person among those celebrating.
- Mother’s Day gift spending: NRF projected $34.1 billion total Mother’s Day spending in 2025, with $259.04 per person among those celebrating.
- Father’s Day gift spending: NRF projected a record $24.0 billion total Father’s Day spending in 2025, with $199.38 per person among those celebrating.
Winter Holiday Gift Spending Statistics (2024 vs 2025)
The National Retail Federation (NRF) annual consumer survey is one of the most-referenced sources for
holiday gift spending statistics. It measures planned spending across gifts and seasonal categories.
In 2024, the NRF survey reported a record planned average of $902 per person. In 2025, the planned average came in at
$890.49 per person, slightly below the prior year’s record.
Chart: Average Winter Holiday Spending Per Person (NRF Survey)
Table: Winter Holiday Gift Spending Statistics (NRF)
| Year | Average planned spend per person (gifts + seasonal categories) | What the metric includes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $902.00 | Gifts, food, decorations, and other seasonal items (NRF consumer survey) | NRF |
| 2025 | $890.49 | Gifts, food, decorations, and other seasonal items (NRF consumer survey) | NRF |
Holiday Retail Sales vs. Gift Spending Statistics (Why Both Matter)
Many readers search for gift spending statistics but end up mixing two different metrics:
(1) consumer survey-based planned gift and seasonal spending per person, and (2) national-level holiday retail sales totals.
Both are useful: per-person spending helps estimate customer budgets and basket expectations, while sales totals help size the market.
Holiday Retail Sales Statistics (NRF Forecast)
For 2025, NRF projected U.S. holiday retail sales (November and December) between $1.01 trillion and $1.02 trillion,
describing it as the first time the holiday season would surpass $1 trillion in its forecast range.
Valentine’s Day Gift Spending Statistics (2026)
Valentine’s Day is a major data point in gift spending statistics because it concentrates spending into a short window and has
clear category patterns (flowers, candy, dining, jewelry, cards, and experiences).
For 2026, NRF projected total Valentine’s Day spending of $29.1 billion and an average of $199.78 per person
among those celebrating.
Mother’s Day Gift Spending Statistics (2025)
Mother’s Day is consistently one of the highest-spending gifting occasions. NRF projected total Mother’s Day spending of
$34.1 billion in 2025, with celebrators budgeting $259.04 per person on average.
Father’s Day Gift Spending Statistics (2025)
Father’s Day gifting is also large and has shown record totals in recent NRF survey results. For 2025, NRF projected total Father’s Day spending of
$24.0 billion with an average of $199.38 among those celebrating.
Chart: Total Spending for Major Gifting Holidays (NRF)
Table: Major Gifting Holidays — Gift Spending Statistics Snapshot
| Holiday | Year | Total spending (U.S.) | Average spend per person (among celebrators) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valentine’s Day | 2026 | $29.1B | $199.78 | NRF |
| Mother’s Day | 2025 | $34.1B | $259.04 | NRF |
| Father’s Day | 2025 | $24.0B | $199.38 | NRF |
Holiday Gift Spending Trends: Value Shopping, Online Spikes, and Deal Windows
Beyond the headline gift spending statistics, several seasonal signals repeatedly show up in holiday reporting:
(a) shoppers timing purchases around major deal events, (b) online spend surging in short windows, and (c) consumers mixing value tactics
(discounts, loyalty programs, early shopping, and gift cards) to manage budgets.
Cyber Week / Deal-Window Gift Spending Statistics (Online)
Reuters, citing Adobe Analytics, reported that U.S. consumers spent $14.25B on Cyber Monday during the 2025 holiday shopping season
and $44.2B in online spending over the five-day Thanksgiving weekend.
These bursts matter for anyone tracking gift spending statistics by channel because they can represent a large share of
peak-season gifting demand in a compressed timeframe.
Deloitte Holiday Survey: Planned Holiday Spend Per Shopper (2025)
Deloitte’s 2025 Holiday Retail Survey reported shoppers expected to spend $1,595 on average (across holiday categories in Deloitte’s survey framing),
described as down year-over-year in that report. This is a different measurement approach than NRF’s “per person on gifts + seasonal categories,” but it’s often used alongside
gift spending statistics for a broader planning view.
FAQ: Gift Spending Statistics
What are the most reliable sources for gift spending statistics?
For U.S. gift spending statistics, the National Retail Federation (NRF) surveys (often fielded with Prosper Insights & Analytics) are widely cited for
per-person planned spend and total holiday/occasion spending projections. Deloitte’s holiday survey is also frequently referenced for shopper budget expectations.
For online spending around deal windows, Adobe Analytics is commonly cited in business coverage.
Why do gift spending statistics differ between reports?
Differences usually come from (1) what spending is included (gifts only vs. gifts + food + decor + travel), (2) who is surveyed (all adults vs. celebrators vs. shoppers),
and (3) whether the metric is planned spending (survey intentions) or measured sales (transactions/estimates).
What is the latest Valentine’s Day gift spending statistic?
One of the latest headline gift spending statistics for Valentine’s Day is NRF’s projection for 2026:
$29.1 billion in total spending and $199.78 average spending per person among those celebrating.
What is the latest winter holiday gift spending statistic per person?
NRF’s annual holiday consumer survey reported consumers planned to spend $890.49 per person on average in 2025 across gifts and seasonal categories,
following a record planned average of $902 in 2024.
Sources (Exact URLs)
- NRF — Consumers to Spend Second-Highest Amount on Record (2025 holiday survey): https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/consumers-to-spend-second-highest-amount-on-record-according-to-nrf-holiday-survey
- NRF — 2024 Holiday Spending Expected to Reach New Record (2024 holiday survey): https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/2024-holiday-spending-expected-reach-new-record
- NRF — NRF Expects Holiday Sales to Surpass $1 Trillion for the First Time in 2025 (holiday sales forecast): https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/nrf-expects-holiday-sales-to-surpass-1-trillion-for-the-first-time-in-2025
- NRF — Valentine’s Day Spending Expected to Reach New Records (2026): https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/valentine-s-day-spending-expected-to-reach-new-records
- NRF — Mother’s Day Spending Expected to Reach $34.1 Billion (2025): https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/mother-s-day-spending-expected-to-reach-34-1-billion
- NRF — Father’s Day Spending to Reach Record $24 Billion (2025): https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/father-s-day-spending-to-reach-record-24-billion
- Deloitte — 2025 Holiday Retail Survey (consumer planned holiday spend): https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/retail-distribution/holiday-retail-sales-consumer-survey.html
- Deloitte (Press release) — Deloitte Holiday spending declines amid economic uncertainty (2025): https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/about/press-room/deloitte-holiday-spending-declines-amid-economic-uncertainty.html
- Reuters — Adobe Analytics: online spending surges over Thanksgiving weekend; Cyber Monday record (2025): https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/us-online-spending-surges-442-billion-during-five-day-holiday-shopping-adobe-2025-12-02/