PwC reports 29% of shoppers will use AI for holiday gifts this year
According to PwC’s 2026 Holiday Outlook, 29% of consumers plan to use AI throughout the holiday season for shopping, up from 20% last year. PwC projects overall holiday spending will rise 6-7% despite low consumer confidence, driven by Gen Z’s record store visits and a shift toward experiences and wellness.
Consumers are using AI for practical tasks such as research, product discovery, price checking, budget maintenance and understanding product features. Shoppers are spending more time crafting detailed prompts that outline recipients’ likes, dislikes, current possessions and lifestyle traits to generate hyper‑personalized gift lists. Gen Z shoppers aged 14‑29 are visiting physical stores in record numbers to interact with products and associates before completing purchases online. Spending is moving away from physical goods toward experiences and wellness, which PwC identifies as one of the fastest‑growing holiday gift categories.
“This year, our survey found that 29% of consumers plan to use AI throughout the holiday season for their shopping,” Kelly Pedersen, global retail leader at PwC U.S said.
“Despite what they indicate in sentiment surveys, we project consumers will actually spend 6-7% more this holiday season compared to last year,” Kelly Pedersen, global retail leader at PwC U.S said.
Last year’s PwC holiday survey found only 20% of shoppers planned to use AI, amid hype about automated purchasing that never materialized because major platforms held back on transaction mechanics. That unfulfilled hype has now normalized into a common tool for searching, comparing and shopping for holidays.
What we know
29% of consumers plan to use AI throughout the holiday season for shopping.
20% of shoppers planned to use AI as part of holiday shopping last year.
PwC projects consumers will spend 6-7% more this holiday season compared to last year.
Gen Z shoppers aged 14-29 are driving record amounts of physical store foot traffic.
Consumers are shifting from physical goods to experiences and wellness, which is one of the fastest-growing gift categories.