According to new research from Sprout Social (NASDAQ: SPT), a leading AI-powered Social Intelligence platform, holiday shoppers are taking a more intentional approach to seasonal spending this year and relying on social media throughout their shopping experience. Amid tariff concerns and rising prices, Sprout Social’s Q3 2026 Pulse Survey finds consumers are shopping earlier, seeking discounts, and prioritizing useful social content over targeted ads.
With more than half of consumers (56%) planning to reduce holiday spending because of broader economic conditions, shoppers are looking to make their budgets go further. Nearly 7 in 10 consumers (69%) are concerned about tariff-related price increases, and 36% say they plan to start shopping earlier specifically to avoid them. For brands, that doesn’t mean simply moving holiday campaigns up; it means earning shopper consideration sooner.
Social media is increasingly influencing purchasing decisions, which makes it a critical place to earn attention this holiday season. It has caught up to physical stores, tying as the leading destination for gift discovery among all consumers (46%) and emerging as the clear #1 place for Gen Z to discover products (54%). Social’s role extends beyond discovery and into a purchase platform, as 57% of consumers are open to purchasing directly within social apps.
The research also shows that consumers are looking for more useful content, like a deal or a product demonstration, rather than an influx of brand messaging. Promo codes shared by a company or an influencer are the top driver of holiday purchases followed by posts showing a product in action, while targeted social ads are the least effective driver.
“Because of a tighter economic climate, every purchase carries more weight, making it critical for brands to refine their messaging to ensure it is thoughtful and grounded,” said Scott Morris, CMO at Sprout Social. “As marketers conduct final check-ins on their holiday campaigns, there is a real opportunity to bring alignment across every channel. Brands can support creator partners by encouraging them to keep education and utility at the forefront of their content, while preparing care teams for fast responses. Our data shows shoppers are using social for their entire holiday journey, and delivering genuine utility across that total presence helps brands maximize their ROI while building lasting trust.”
Consumers are closing out their shopping journey on social by heading to platforms like TikTok (50%), Facebook (46%) and Instagram (44%) for customer service, and using direct messages as their preferred way to contact a brand (55%). To meet high expectations for customer care speed, 70% of consumers are comfortable with brands using AI-powered tools to deliver faster responses.
Beyond seasonal shopping, the Q3 2026 Pulse Survey highlights social media’s role in other timely events like upcoming elections:
- A new newsstand: Ahead of the 2026 midterms, social media serves as a primary news source, standing as the #1 channel for Millennials (38%) and Gen Z (33%).
- Politicians as influencers: Social posts from politicians have real influence with 55% of all consumers citing that a social post has informed or changed their opinion, while over half of Gen Z report actually changing their mind on an issue.
- Candidate followings: 45% of social users say they do not follow any politician on social media. Just over a quarter (26%) follow 1-2 politicians.
- Deepfake concerns: During the election cycle, 84% of voters are concerned about encountering AI-generated deepfakes on social platforms
