Canonical URL: https://giftcard.news/research-trends/holiday-gift-card-demand-2026-inmarket-statista/ --- description: New InMarket data published by Statista puts gift cards on 57% of US holiday shopping lists. Explore the 2026 figures and the business implications. title: Holiday gift card demand 2026: 57% plan to buy image: https://giftcard.news/images/social/v1/gift-cards-enter-2026-holiday-season-57-us-shoppers-lists-f16dec80e98861cfc3dcfba4b802f423.jpg --- 1. [Home](https://giftcard.news/) 2. [Research & Trends](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/) # Gift cards enter the 2026 holiday season on 57% of US shoppers' lists New July 2026 survey data puts gift cards behind clothing in US holiday purchase plans. The business opportunity starts before the last-minute rush. By [Oliver Reed](https://giftcard.news/author/oliver-reed/) September 10, 2026 5 min read [ Google News ](https://google.com/preferences/source?q=giftcard.news&utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news) Share [ ](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fholiday-gift-card-demand-2026-inmarket-statista%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dx%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&text=Gift+cards+enter+the+2026+holiday+season+on+57%25+of+US+shoppers%27+lists&utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news "X") [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fholiday-gift-card-demand-2026-inmarket-statista%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dlinkedin%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news "LinkedIn") [ ](https://wa.me/?text=Gift+cards+enter+the+2026+holiday+season+on+57%25+of+US+shoppers%27+lists+https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fholiday-gift-card-demand-2026-inmarket-statista%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dwhatsapp%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news "WhatsApp") ![Wrapped gifts on the cover of InMarket's 2026 Holiday Shopping InSights report.](https://giftcard.news/images/variants/v1/gift-cards-enter-2026-holiday-season-57-us-shoppers-lists-wrapped-gifts-w1200.webp) InMarket's September 2026 report examines US consumer plans for the holiday season. Official report cover. Photo: InMarket Gift cards are heading into the 2026 US holiday season with broad consumer interest, but the commercial contest is about more than a last-minute purchase. [InMarket](https://giftcard.news/company/inmarket/)'s latest holiday research, released in September and published by [Statista](https://giftcard.news/company/statista/), puts gift cards on the planned shopping lists of 57% of respondents, behind clothing at 65%. [\[S01\]](#article-source-1) For retailers and gift-card distributors, that is a useful indication of demand before the peak selling period. It is also a reminder that a popular product category does not automatically deliver a sale for any particular brand. The buyer still has to choose whose card to purchase, where to buy it and how much value to load. The research arrives as the industry prepares its holiday ranges and distribution campaigns. Its central argument is that the commercial opportunity begins while consumers are deciding what to buy, rather than only when they reach the checkout. [\[S02\]](#article-source-2) ## What the 2026 gift-card figures actually measure The Statista series, updated on September 16, reports purchase intentions collected in July 2026\. Alongside gift cards and clothing, 46% of respondents selected toys or games, 38% electronics and 31% beauty supplies. Respondents could select more than one category. The figures therefore describe overlapping shopping plans, not competing shares of a single spending total. [\[S01\]](#article-source-1) The data behind the story ### What US consumers plan to give for the 2026 holidays Five reported gift categories from a July 2026 consumer survey, published in September 2026. Respondents planning to purchase % Tap or hover for details. All values are also available in the data table. Source [\[S01\]](#article-source-1) InMarket via Statista, September 2026 Multiple responses were allowed. These percentages describe purchase intentions, not completed purchases or shares of holiday spending. Only the five verified categories shown here are included. Show data tableHide data table Scroll left or right to see all columns __What US consumers plan to give for the 2026 holidays (%)__ | Category | Respondents planning to purchase | | --------------- | -------------------------------- | | Clothing | 65% | | Gift cards | 57% | | Toys and games | 46% | | Electronics | 38% | | Beauty supplies | 31% | [Download the chart data as CSV](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/holiday-gift-card-demand-2026-inmarket-statista/data.csv) That distinction changes the business interpretation. A household can plan to buy both a gift card and clothing. The survey cannot be read as a revenue split between the two categories. The more useful question for an issuer is whether it can convert category interest into preference for its particular card. For a distributor, the question is which brands, denominations and delivery options will match those preferences when the shopper is ready to pay. Those are different commercial decisions even when they draw on the same headline statistic. ## Why the timing matters to gift-card sellers InMarket divides the season into a period of planning and consideration, the Thanksgiving-to-Cyber-Monday promotion window, and the final days before Christmas. Its report pairs a new consumer survey with earlier transaction evidence. The survey was fielded in July 2026 with sample support from [Kantar](https://giftcard.news/company/kantar/); the separate commerce analysis covers June 2025 through February 2026\. Those historical transactions are context for this season, not observations of Christmas 2026 sales. [\[S02\]](#article-source-2) The practical implication is a two-stage selling problem. An Your free reader account ## Continue reading for free. Create your account or sign in to get unlimited access. Continue with LinkedIn Continue with Google Continue with Facebook No payment required. Newsletter signup is optional. [Already registered? Sign in](https://giftcard.news/login/?returnTo=%2Fresearch-trends%2Fholiday-gift-card-demand-2026-inmarket-statista%2F) ## In this article ### Companies * [InMarket](https://giftcard.news/company/inmarket/) * [Kantar](https://giftcard.news/company/kantar/) * [Statista](https://giftcard.news/company/statista/) ### People * [Gerry Joyce](https://giftcard.news/person/gerry-joyce/) ### Organizations * [Retail TouchPoints](https://giftcard.news/organization/retail-touchpoints/) * [United States Census Bureau](https://giftcard.news/organization/united-states-census-bureau/) ### Sources and documents * [\[S01\] Holiday gifts US consumers plan to purchase in 2026; InMarket survey, updated 16 September 2026](https://www.statista.com/statistics/246589/holiday-gifts-to-be-bought-by-consumers-by-item/?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news) — Statista * [\[S02\] 2026 Holiday Shopping InSights: introduction and methodology](https://inmarket.com/2026-holiday-shopping-insights/?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news) — InMarket * [\[S03\] Gerry Joyce: Your Black Friday Obsession Is Costing You Christmas, 17 September 2026](https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/executive-viewpoints/your-black-friday-obsession-is-costing-you-christmas/621450/?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news) — Retail TouchPoints * [\[S04\] Company profile and marketing services](https://inmarket.com/about-us/?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news) — InMarket * [\[S05\] Intent, purchase and location data explained](https://inmarket.com/data/?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news) — InMarket * [\[S06\] Measurement products and campaign allocation tools](https://inmarket.com/solutions/measurement/?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news) — InMarket Share [ ](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fholiday-gift-card-demand-2026-inmarket-statista%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dx%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&text=Gift+cards+enter+the+2026+holiday+season+on+57%25+of+US+shoppers%27+lists&utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news "X") [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fholiday-gift-card-demand-2026-inmarket-statista%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dlinkedin%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news "LinkedIn") [ ](https://wa.me/?text=Gift+cards+enter+the+2026+holiday+season+on+57%25+of+US+shoppers%27+lists+https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fholiday-gift-card-demand-2026-inmarket-statista%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dwhatsapp%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news "WhatsApp") ![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. From reading to building ## Your next move in gift cards. Tell us what you’re building. We’ll help you explore suitable providers. [Find a provider ](https://giftcard.news/find-a-provider/) ## Related articles [Research & Trends](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/) News ### [InComm’s holiday survey puts gift cards first in U.S. purchase plans](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/incomm-2026-holiday-gift-card-purchase-plans/) [Emma Carter](https://giftcard.news/author/emma-carter/) October 21, 2026 5 min [Research & Trends](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/) News ### [Gift cards lead NRF’s 2026 holiday wish list at 47%](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/nrf-2026-holiday-gift-card-wish-list/) [Emma Carter](https://giftcard.news/author/emma-carter/) October 20, 2026 3 min [Research & Trends](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/) News ### [iGift’s three-brand index records a lower Roblox discount in week 42](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/igift-week42-2026-gift-card-discount-index/) [Oliver Reed](https://giftcard.news/author/oliver-reed/) October 19, 2026 4 min ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsMediaOrganization","@id":"https://giftcard.news/#publisher","name":"Gift Card News","url":"https://giftcard.news/","description":"News and analysis covering gift cards, retail, loyalty, rewards and payments worldwide.","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://giftcard.news/icon-512.png","contentUrl":"https://giftcard.news/icon-512.png","width":512,"height":512,"@id":"https://giftcard.news/#logo"},"publishingPrinciples":"https://giftcard.news/editorial-policy/","correctionsPolicy":"https://giftcard.news/editorial-policy/"},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://giftcard.news/#website","url":"https://giftcard.news/","name":"Gift Card News","description":"News and analysis covering gift cards, retail, loyalty, rewards and payments worldwide.","inLanguage":"en","publisher":{"@id":"https://giftcard.news/#publisher"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":"https://giftcard.news/search/?q={search_term_string}","query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://giftcard.news/author/oliver-reed/#person","name":"Oliver Reed","url":"https://giftcard.news/author/oliver-reed/","description":"Oliver Reed covers industry acquisitions, investment and market research for Gift Card News.","jobTitle":"Journalist — Industry Deals & Research","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://giftcard.news/images/oliver-reed-editorial-portrait.webp","contentUrl":"https://giftcard.news/images/oliver-reed-editorial-portrait.webp","width":1254,"height":1254,"caption":"Illustrated portrait representing the Oliver Reed editorial profile.","@id":"https://giftcard.news/images/oliver-reed-editorial-portrait.webp#image","encodingFormat":"image/webp","description":"Illustrated portrait for Oliver Reed, Gift Card News","creditText":"Gift Card News / AI-generated illustration"}},{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://giftcard.news/images/gift-cards-enter-2026-holiday-season-57-us-shoppers-lists-wrapped-gifts.webp","contentUrl":"https://giftcard.news/images/gift-cards-enter-2026-holiday-season-57-us-shoppers-lists-wrapped-gifts.webp","width":1200,"height":630,"caption":"InMarket's September 2026 report examines US consumer plans for the holiday season. 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