Consumer Behavior

Rising grocery costs will make holiday celebrations stressful

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September 22, 2026

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A good majority of Americans, 78%, expect higher prices to impact holiday spending and 50% believe rising grocery costs will make holiday hosting more stressful.

Those are top findings from an Omnisend survey that also revealed Americans expect to spend an average of $950 this holiday season on gifts and hosting, according to a press release.

"Holiday hosting is one of the few seasonal expenses that's difficult to scale back without changing the experience itself," Marty Bauer, e-commerce expert at Omnisend, said in the release. "People can buy fewer gifts, hunt for discounts, or delay purchases, but when you're feeding family and friends, there are limits to how much you can cut. Eventually, cost-saving decisions start affecting more than the menu. They can affect how people gather, entertain and celebrate together, turning what would normally be a budgeting decision into an emotional one."

According to the survey, Americans plan to:

• Look for discount codes and coupons (35%).
• Set a strict holiday spending budget in advance (27%).
• Wait for sales before making purchases (23%).
• Start shopping earlier than usual (26%).

The survey, which polled 1,000 U.S. consumers, was commissioned by Omnisend and conducted by Cint in August 2026.