{"ok":true,"requestId":"594d7272afed4791672eba29","graph":{"graph_id":"epsilon-holiday-shopping-trends","slug":"epsilon-holiday-shopping-trends","canonical_slug":"epsilon-holiday-shopping-trends","canonical_url":"https://www.fodda.ai/graphs/epsilon-holiday-shopping-trends","readme_url":"https://api.fodda.ai/v1/graphs/epsilon-holiday-shopping-trends/readme","name":"Epsilon Holiday Shopping Trends","description":"Consumers are defying inflation with resilient holiday budgets while blending AI tools, social discovery, and physical store visits.","curator":"Epsilon","curator_url":"https://www.epsilon.com/us/insights/resources/holiday-shopping-report?utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=q426-holiday-shopping-report&cid=701Tr00001AL0wjIAD&matchtype=p&utm_term=consumer%20purchasing%20trends&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=24391952779&gbraid=0AAAAACpOpG-3N4f5zl5daiSTTOJ0_GTa6&gclid=CjwKCAiA2MDXBhBUEiwAD-YB-6Cz49Bszr6vXkBMon45y6-qGxEANnNh_Zsr7Ych3lm6xgwO9AmVDxoC-WsQAvD_BwE","domain":"Retail & E-Commerce","version":"2026-Q2","public_bucket":"libraries","graph_type":"industry report","graph_sub_type":null,"verticals":["Retail & E-Commerce","Advertising & Marketing","Consumer Goods"],"topics":["retail","consumer","goods","technology","advertising","culture"],"suitable_questions":["How are consumers using AI tools during the holiday shopping journey?","What is the average anticipated holiday spend by category and how does inflation affect it?","How do Gen Z and Millennials differ from older generations in their preference for in-store shopping and catalogs?"],"example_queries":["How are consumers using AI tools during the holiday shopping journey?","What is the average anticipated holiday spend by category and how does inflation affect it?","How do Gen Z and Millennials differ from older generations in their preference for in-store shopping and catalogs?"],"not_suitable_for":[],"selection_summary":"A tightly curated framework of 6 core strategic trends within Retail & E-Commerce including GEN Z In-Store & Analog Revival, Digital & Social Gift Discovery, AI-Assisted Holiday Shopping, curated from verified primary industry sources to highlight high-conviction shifts rather than raw unvetted volume.","trend_count":6,"evidence_count":8,"article_count":8,"company_count":0,"derived_counts":{"trends":6,"evidence":8,"articles":8,"companies":0,"trend_count":6,"evidence_count":8,"article_count":8,"company_count":0},"last_synced":"2026-11-08T18:16:20.6Z","status":"live","deprecated":false,"freshness_status":"current","last_updated":"2026-11-08","published_date":"2026-11-08","webpage_url":"https://www.fodda.ai/graphs/epsilon-holiday-shopping-trends","is_playground":false,"headline":"Consumers are defying inflation with resilient holiday budgets while blending AI tools, social discovery, and physical store visits.","subhead":"","geography":["North America"],"company":"Epsilon","available_as":"","icon_url":"","portrait_url":"https://api.fodda.ai/v1/images/proxy?url=https%3A%2F%2Fv5.airtableusercontent.com%2Fv3%2Fu%2F59%2F59%2F1794420000000%2FVkNvM2HeLXs3pgSsaWwwkA%2FlQPRQbaiwdKdtRT4OwsezZFkFOZ7V3DRFL8bdxH2lcJw0z5LCQWDMqfDnJudirF6dmzkFJnHC-3-t0teQf8QWjZvnFWDNao_He3ZVV6_MRkE59srvAoSOmzsr_xbmRsDfCtsj7IkTLU3iai3wU8i0g%2FGOSgdMNyS5QImmcvzxx69mTq5JTD9f2u6Jz7kh7P8S8","source_url":"","price_per_query":null,"what_it_does":"This graph captures empirical consumer survey data from Epsilon Pulse regarding holiday shopping behaviors, budget allocations, and channel preferences across Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers. Unlike generic retail forecasts, it directly compares the conversion power of holiday ads against other retail events and breaks down exact consumer use cases for AI tools during the gift-buying journey. It equips marketers and retail strategists with generational nuances, such as Gen Z's surprising affinity for physical stores and print catalogs alongside digital channels.","key_features":"6 empirical consumer shopping trends backed by a survey of 1,962 holiday shoppers. Granular category spend projections across gifts, travel, groceries, apparel, and charity. Generational breakdowns of AI shopping use cases, ad responsiveness, and in-store vs. online preferences","by_the_numbers":"6 trends, 8 evidence items","for_teams_like":"Retail & E-Commerce Marketing Directors. Omnichannel Media Planners & Ad Strategists. Consumer Insights & Shopper Marketing Teams","how_to_access":"Available via MCP, API, and Chat. Use graph ID: epsilon-holiday-shopping-trends","what_contains":"Trend, Article connected by USES_TECHNOLOGY, TARGETS_AUDIENCE, IN_INDUSTRY, IN_SECTOR, EVIDENCE_FOR, CONTAINS_TREND, CONTAINS\\_ARTICLE\n","agent_prompt":"CRITICAL: Use this graph for insights into North American holiday consumer sentiment, generational shopping preferences, seasonal advertising efficacy, and AI adoption in retail. It contains quantitative survey data from nearly 2,000 shoppers detailing expected category spend, omnichannel shopping behaviors, and gift inspiration sources.","skill_phase":null,"skill_tool_name":null,"report_analysis":{"thesis":"Consumers are defying macroeconomic inflation through resilient $946 holiday budgets, seamlessly fusing AI search tools with an analog resurgence in physical stores and print catalogs.","core_tension":"While digital-first behaviors like AI price comparison and social visual discovery capture massive adoption, younger cohorts are simultaneously driving a surprising analog revival in brick-and-mortar retail and print shopping catalogs.","why_it_matters":"Marketers can no longer treat digital channels and physical stores as isolated silos; consumer journeys are increasingly cross-media, requiring campaigns that blend high-impact seasonal advertising with tactile, high-trust touchpoints.","sharpest_signal":"AI-Assisted Holiday Shopping, where nearly half of shoppers incorporate artificial intelligence into their holiday discovery and price comparison workflows.","best_evidence":["Nearly half of consumers (48%) utilize AI tools for holiday price comparison and gift ideation, led by 30% of Gen Z consumers who rely on AI frequently or nearly always.","Average projected holiday spending reaches $946 per shopper in 2026, defying inflation as younger cohorts actively increase their seasonal budgets."],"discriminative_summary":"This graph is uniquely good for understanding how emerging consumer technologies like AI intersect with traditional omnichannel retail preferences and holiday spending resilience.","matched_human_twin_slug":"nathan-grotticelli-startups-marketing-agentic-commerce","expert_stance_quote":"The future of commerce isn't trapped inside a boring text box or a single digital screen; it's a rich, cross-media stack where AI agents, social discovery, and physical retail touchpoints merge to drive real-world purchasing action.","cross_graph_signals":[{"graph_id":"dhl-black-friday-e-commerce-trends","signal_type":"validates","connection_summary":"Gen Z's leading role in promotional trust and promotional spending growth directly validates the finding that younger cohorts are driving proactive budgeting and aggressive discount hunting.","source_case_study":"DHL Black Friday E-Commerce Trends"},{"graph_id":"amadeus-ai-travel-personalization-outlook","signal_type":"validates","connection_summary":"The rapid adoption of AI tools for holiday shopping aligns with the broader imperative that low-stakes AI use cases are successfully building consumer trust across retail and commerce.","source_case_study":"Amadeus AI Travel Personalization Outlook"},{"graph_id":"collectibles-alt-assets","signal_type":"validates","connection_summary":"The massive expansion of physical retail stores and automated offline shops mirrors the consumer craving for tactile, in-person discovery highlighted by the Gen Z analog retail revival.","source_case_study":"Pop Mart Global Store Network"}],"credibilityAnchor":"Epsilon Holiday Shopping Trends was produced by Epsilon - a global leader in connected data and digital marketing. Their research and analytics team synthesized holiday spending, consumer behavior, and retail technology trends across multiple demographic cohorts."},"core_tension":"While digital-first behaviors like AI price comparison and social visual discovery capture massive adoption, younger cohorts are simultaneously driving a surprising analog revival in brick-and-mortar retail and print shopping catalogs.","matched_human_twin_slug":"nathan-grotticelli-startups-marketing-agentic-commerce","expert_stance_quote":"The future of commerce isn't trapped inside a boring text box or a single digital screen; it's a rich, cross-media stack where AI agents, social discovery, and physical retail touchpoints merge to drive real-world purchasing action.","cross_graph_signals":[{"graph_id":"dhl-black-friday-e-commerce-trends","signal_type":"validates","connection_summary":"Gen Z's leading role in promotional trust and promotional spending growth directly validates the finding that younger cohorts are driving proactive budgeting and aggressive discount hunting.","source_case_study":"DHL Black Friday E-Commerce Trends"},{"graph_id":"amadeus-ai-travel-personalization-outlook","signal_type":"validates","connection_summary":"The rapid adoption of AI tools for holiday shopping aligns with the broader imperative that low-stakes AI use cases are successfully building consumer trust across retail and commerce.","source_case_study":"Amadeus AI Travel Personalization Outlook"},{"graph_id":"collectibles-alt-assets","signal_type":"validates","connection_summary":"The massive expansion of physical retail stores and automated offline shops mirrors the consumer craving for tactile, in-person discovery highlighted by the Gen Z analog retail revival.","source_case_study":"Pop Mart Global Store Network"}]}}