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---
description: Deloitte’s US holiday survey leaves gift-card buying intentions unchanged at 54%, with purchase-channel preferences almost evenly divided between online and stores.
title: Deloitte finds US gift-card purchase plans steady at 54%
image: https://giftcard.news/images/social/v1/deloitte-finds-us-gift-card-purchase-plans-steady-54-767b03047dfe22db1d8909053472493b.jpg
---

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# Deloitte finds US gift-card purchase plans steady at 54%

Deloitte’s US holiday survey leaves gift-card buying intentions unchanged at 54%, with purchase-channel preferences almost evenly divided between online and stores.

By [Oliver Reed](https://giftcard.news/author/oliver-reed/) October 15, 2026 3 min read [ Google News ](https://google.com/preferences/source?q=giftcard.news&utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news) 

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![Deloitte 2026 holiday retail report illustration showing a father and child with a wrapped present](https://giftcard.news/images/variants/v1/deloitte-finds-us-gift-card-purchase-plans-steady-54-2026-holiday-retail-w1280.webp) 

 Official illustration for Deloitte’s 2026 US holiday retail research. Photo: Deloitte Insights 

Gift cards feature in 54% of US shoppers’ holiday purchase plans in [Deloitte](https://giftcard.news/company/deloitte/)’s 2026 Holiday Retail Survey, matching the 54% comparison for 2025\. The study, announced on October 15, points to a stable place for cards in the intended gift mix. [\[S01\]](#article-source-1)[\[S02\]](#article-source-2)

## Gift-card intentions hold steady

Deloitte’s category chart asks what shoppers plan to buy as gifts. Its gift-card result describes the share selecting that category, rather than the share of their budget allocated to cards. A respondent can plan to buy several kinds of gifts. [\[S02\]](#article-source-2)

The data behind the story 

### Gift cards remain in 54% of holiday purchase plans

Deloitte’s reported US gift-category percentages for the two annual comparisons.

 Share of respondents 

%

Tap or hover for details. All values are also available in the data table.

Source 

Deloitte 2026 Holiday Retail Survey

Purchase intentions, not actual sales or spending shares. The 2026 figure displays a base of 3,700; the reprinted 2025 comparison does not establish an identical sample or panel. Rounded percentages do not show a change.

Show data tableHide data table 

Scroll left or right to see all columns 

__Gift cards remain in 54% of holiday purchase plans (%)__
| Category        | Share of respondents |
| --------------- | -------------------- |
| 2025 comparison | 54%                  |
| 2026 survey     | 54%                  |

For card issuers and distributors, the unchanged percentage offers no evidence of growth in the number of buyers, value loaded or revenue. Those outcomes would depend on completed purchases and the amounts customers choose. A stable participation rate can coexist with changes in spending per buyer.

Deloitte, a professional-services firm, presents the research as part of its holiday retail outlook. The overall US study used an independent online panel of 4,000 consumers, fielded from August 26 to September 10, 2026, and described as nationally representative. The gift-category figure identifies a

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## In this article

### Companies

* [Deloitte](https://giftcard.news/company/deloitte/)

### Sources and documents

* [\[S01\] Original October 15 US holiday survey announcement](https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/about/press-room/deloitte-holiday-spending-set-to-increase.html?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news) — Deloitte
* [\[S02\] Original 2026 report, gift-card charts on pages 9 and 16 and methodology on page 23](https://www.deloitte.com/content/dam/insights/articles/2026/amer189387%5Fcic%5Fholiday-retail-survey/pdf/DI%5F2026-Holiday-Retail-Survey.pdf?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news) — Deloitte
* [\[S03\] Official study page and report illustration](https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/retail-distribution/holiday-retail-sales-consumer-survey.html?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news) — Deloitte Insights

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![Portrait of Oliver Reed](https://giftcard.news/images/variants/v1/oliver-reed-editorial-portrait-w320.webp) 

About the author

## [Oliver Reed](https://giftcard.news/author/oliver-reed/)

Journalist — Industry Deals & Research

Oliver Reed covers industry acquisitions, investment and market research for Gift Card News.

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