New research from Sprout Social shows that consumers are approaching the 2026 holiday shopping season more cautiously, while increasingly relying on social media for product discovery, deals, purchases, and customer service.

Shoppers Are Cutting Spending and Starting Earlier

Economic concerns are shaping holiday behavior:

• 56% of consumers plan to reduce holiday spending because of broader economic conditions.

• 69% are concerned about tariff-related price increases.

• 36% plan to start holiday shopping earlier specifically to avoid potential price increases.

For brands, the shift means holiday marketing may need to begin earlier, with greater emphasis on providing useful reasons for consumers to consider a purchase.

Social Media Is Becoming a Major Shopping Destination

Social media is playing a growing role throughout the shopping journey.

• 46% of consumers identify social media as a leading destination for gift discovery, tying it with physical stores.

• 54% of Gen Z use social media as their top destination for discovering products.

• 57% of consumers are open to purchasing directly within social apps.

This positions social platforms as more than awareness channels, with discovery and commerce increasingly happening within the same environment.

Useful Content Outperforms Traditional Promotion

Consumers are looking for content that helps them make purchasing decisions rather than simply exposing them to more advertising.

The research identifies promo codes shared by companies or influencers as the leading driver of holiday purchases, followed by posts demonstrating products in action. Targeted social ads ranked as the least effective driver among the options measured.

This points toward greater value in creator content, demonstrations, discounts, and other forms of practical product information.

Social Is Also Becoming a Customer Service Channel

Consumers are continuing to use social platforms after discovering products:

• 50% use TikTok for customer service.

• 46% use Facebook.

• 44% use Instagram.

• 55% prefer direct messages when contacting brands.

• 70% are comfortable with brands using AI-powered tools to provide faster responses.

Social therefore increasingly spans discovery, consideration, purchase, and post-purchase support.

Social Media's Role Extends Beyond Shopping

The survey also examined social media during the 2026 election cycle. Among the findings:

• Social media is the leading news source for 38% of Millennials and 33% of Gen Z.

• 55% of consumers say a politician's social post has informed or changed their opinion.

• 45% of social users don't follow any politician.

• 84% of voters are concerned about encountering AI-generated deepfakes on social platforms.

What the Data Suggests for Brands

The findings point to a holiday environment where consumers are more price-conscious, starting earlier, and using social throughout the purchase journey.

For marketers, the research emphasizes the importance of combining promotional value with useful content, creator partnerships, responsive social customer care, and faster AI-assisted engagement rather than relying primarily on conventional targeted advertising.