Giftster, the trusted home for meaningful family gifting, today released its inaugural Holiday Shopping Index, revealing that consumers are beginning the shopping season months before they make their first purchase. Based on millions of real wish list interactions rather than consumer surveys, the Index provides a first-of-its-kind look at how consumers actually prepare for the holiday season and how that behavior is reshaping the retail calendar.

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Giftster analyzed millions of real wish list interactions to launch its inaugural Holiday Shopping Index.

Giftster analyzed millions of real wish list interactions to launch its inaugural Holiday Shopping Index.

Giftster’s Holiday Shopping Index points to a broader shift in consumer behavior. As shoppers become more intentional with their holiday budgets, they’re planning earlier to make every purchase count. Instead of waiting until Black Friday to decide what to buy, consumers are building wish lists, comparing options and narrowing their choices weeks in advance, then waiting for the right time and price to purchase.

The data shows that this planning unfolds in three distinct stages. Consumers organize gift ideas in October, refine gift selections throughout November and make the majority of purchases in December. Together these behaviors suggest that holiday shopping has evolved from a season centered on purchases to a months-long planning journey.

“Retailers have spent decades measuring when consumers buy,” said Ron Reimann, founder and CEO of Giftster. “We’re seeing something different. The most important buying decisions happen months before the gift is given, while families are building wish lists, comparing ideas and sharing them with one another. Purchasing is simply the final step.”

The Three Stages of Today’s Shopping Season

Stage One: Consumers Organize Earlier

Giftster’s analysis shows planning activity accelerates well before peak purchasing begins, challenging the traditional belief that the shopping season starts with Black Friday. Compared with September 2025, October activity increased dramatically across the platform:

  • Items added to wish lists increased 118%.
  • New wish lists created increased 125%.
  • Wish list updates increased 120%.
  • Purchases increased 129%.

Rather than marking the beginning of holiday shopping, October has become the month consumers organize ideas, build wish lists and begin coordinating gift giving with family and friends.

Stage Two: Consumers Refine Gift Decisions

Giftster’s data shows that by the time Black Friday arrives, many consumers have already spent weeks building wish lists, comparing products and narrowing gift selections. In November 2025:

  • More than 5.2 million items were added to Giftster wish lists.
  • More than 280,000 new wish lists were created.
  • More than 150,000 existing wish lists were updated.

Rather than marking the beginning of holiday shopping, Black Friday increasingly represents the point when weeks of planning turn into purchases. November activity shows consumers actively refining wish lists, sharing gift ideas with family and making the final decisions that shape their holiday purchases.

Stage Three: Consumers Purchase

While planning and gift decisions occur throughout October and November, December remains the peak purchasing month. Giftster recorded more than 1.7 million purchases from wish lists during December, approximately 39% more than November and more than eleven times October purchase activity.

The findings reinforce a broader shift in consumer behavior: by the time December arrives, many shoppers have already decided what to buy. The final weeks of the shopping season are increasingly focused on completing purchases rather than influencing gift decisions. Based on these trends, Giftster expects the gap between planning and purchasing to continue widening as consumers begin organizing gift ideas earlier and retailers adapt to a longer shopping season.

Earlier Planning Is Reshaping the Shopping Season

The findings suggest the greatest opportunity to influence purchasing decisions now occurs before Black Friday, while consumers are researching products, building wish lists and sharing gift ideas with family and friends. Rather than focusing primarily on promotional periods, retailers and brands have an opportunity to engage consumers earlier, when gift decisions are still taking shape.

As consumers increasingly separate planning from purchasing, the brands that succeed will be those that help shoppers discover products, organize gift ideas and make confident decisions well before they are ready to buy. Building awareness and consideration earlier in the season may become just as important as competing during peak promotional periods.

The Giftster Holiday Shopping Index will be released quarterly to provide retailers, brands and families with ongoing insights into how consumer gifting behaviors continue to evolve. Learn more about the Giftster Holiday Shopping Index at Giftster.com.

About Giftster

Giftster is the trusted home for meaningful family gifting, empowering families to gift with less guesswork, less waste, and more joy. As the first digital family wish list, Giftster has been trusted by more than three million members for more than two decades to organize wish lists, coordinate gift-giving, and celebrate magical moments together. From birthdays and holidays to weddings, baby showers, and Secret Santa exchanges, Giftster makes it easy to create and share wish lists, reserve gifts, prevent duplicates, and give meaningful gifts across every retailer. Learn more at www.giftster.com.

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