KPMG Consumer Pulse: Using AI to find savings, consumers plan to treat themselves this holiday season

• Fifty-seven percent of consumers plan to shop for themselves this holiday season.
• Self-spending is expected to reach an average of $354, up 18% from what consumers report spending on themselves last year.
• Among “self-gifters,” 67% cite treating or rewarding themselves as a primary motivation.
• More than half (54%) say holiday sales and promotions are driving self-purchases.

“Self-gifting has become a durable part of holiday spending behavior,” said Julia Wilson, KPMG U.S. Principal, Consumer & Retail Strategy. “Even as households remain mindful of budgets, many are setting aside spending for purchases that feel rewarding, practical, or personally meaningful. Retailers that can connect with those motivations and clearly communicate value will be best positioned to capture this demand.”

• Consumers expect to spend an average of $798 on holiday travel this year, up 8% from 2025.
• Forty percent of consumers increasing travel spending cite longer trip durations as the primary driver.
• Thirty-four percent point to plans to stay in luxury hotels and resorts.
• Nearly half of households earning more than $200,000 plan to spend more than $1,000 on holiday travel.

“Consumers are not trading down when it comes to travel this holiday season. Many are doing the opposite, choosing longer vacations and premium accommodations that feel special and memorable,” said Braden Mark, KPMG U.S. Principal, Travel, Leisure & Hospitality. “The opportunity for the entire travel ecosystem is to demonstrate why a specific experience deserves a larger share of consumers' discretionary spending rather than simply competing on price."

• Holiday spending is rising, but so is deal-seeking. Forty-five percent of consumers plan to spend more on gifts this season, while many are leveraging AI tools to find savings and maximize purchasing power.
• Thirty-seven percent of consumers plan to use AI to compare prices across retailers and 33% plan to use AI to find discounts or promotions.

"AI has made consumers better equipped than ever to make informed decisions about where and how they spend, using these tools to compare prices, uncover promotions, and evaluate products before making a purchase,” said Duleep Rodrigo, KPMG Americas Sector Leader, Consumer, Retail & Hospitality. “The companies that will succeed this holiday season will be the ones using data and analytics to differentiate where consumers will accept higher prices, where brand perception is strongest, and where protecting volume matters most through promotions.”