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Holiday shopping is a perennial end-of-year experience that requires time, mental energy, and financial resources. However, not all shoppers approach their gift-buying in the same way, especially when it comes to brainstorming gift ideas and curating lists.
Recently, AI has become a viable tool for holiday shoppers seeking to eliminate the mental gymnastics of gift giving, such as using it to brainstorm ideas or assist in finding a specific gift. New survey data from CivicScience among holiday shoppers shows that 10% of respondents have already used gen AI, such as ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot, to help them with gift ideas and finding specific products. An additional 36% are ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ likely to do so.
Gen Z adults (aged 18-29) lead in usage and intent – 18% say they have already tapped into AI for holiday gifting inspiration, while 57% are likely to do so, outpacing all other age groups by at least nine percentage points. Low-income earners (earning under $50K) also outpace high-income earners (earning over $100K) by 11 percentage points with intent to use AI during their holiday gift planning, suggesting that both younger adults and lower-income earners may be turning to gen AI as a useful tool during their holiday planning.
AI-Assisted Holiday Shoppers Plan to Spend More
Those using AI for holiday shopping support aren’t just using the technology for research purposes; they’re also likely to make a purchase. CivicScience data reveal that 84% of those who have already used AI for help on holiday shopping say they have made at least one general purchase due to an AI recommendation in the past 30 days.
It is also worth noting that those who have used AI for their holiday shopping are the most likely to anticipate spending ‘more’ this holiday season than last year–perhaps due to the abundance of ideas and recommendations at their disposal and strong intent from younger Americans.
Those Planning to Lean on AI this Season Seek Home Items and Health and Wellness Gifts
AI-assisted holiday shoppers notably over-index among non-users when it comes to three key gift categories: health and wellness, home and outdoor, and entertainment (excluding ‘other’). Holiday shoppers using AI also outpace in gift-buying intent for art and food-related items. This means that these categories could be worth watching in the coming weeks, especially as Black Friday sales get underway. Non-users, meanwhile, are far more likely to be interested in clothing and children’s toys.
With so many AI-friendly gifters anticipating a higher spend and several key categories looking to gain their attention–and their dollars–brands, advertisers, and media publishers with access to real-time consumer-declared intent, like CivicScience clients, can ensure they stay in front of their ideal shoppers, regardless of where holiday shopping takes them.
