Consumer Behavior
Consumers preparing for financial challenges
October 20, 2025
A hefty majority of consumers, 79%, are preparing for increased financial challenges and 77% are taking specific steps to stay within a holiday budget as the peak holiday season approaches.
Those are top findings from The Impact Index, a study of 2,000 American consumers conducted by The Harris Poll and Nift.
More than half of consumers, 63%, report feeling overwhelmed by the volume of ads they are seeing and 78% believe brands are offering fewer rewards, according to a press release on the study.
"This new study highlights that traditional advertising strategies are not breaking through to today's consumers, who are under pressure and focused on preparing for financial challenges," Elery Pfeffer, founder and CEO of Nift, said in the release.
The study found that 52% of consumers who are preparing for economic challenges are using at least three different strategies to protect financial stability — cutting back on non-essential purchases (51%); using discounts, coupons or cash-back tools (45%) and switching to lower-cost or generic brands (37%).
"For commerce media networks, this research highlights how they can move beyond being just advertising platforms and provide real value to consumers who are facing significant economic pressure," Saket Mehta, CRO of Nift, said in the release. "By creating moments that enhance the overall shopping experience, commerce platforms can build stronger customer relationships, strengthen brand trust and loyalty, and drive measurable bottom-line revenue growth."
