$29.1B
Valentine’s Day spending expected in 2026
U.S. shoppers are budgeting an average of $199.78 for the holiday, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2026 survey.
Source: National Retail Federation, January 27, 2026← Back to the journal2026 reference guide
U.S. gift-giving statistics for 2026.
A current, sourced look at the seasonal moments when people are shopping for gifts, from Valentine’s Day to Halloween.
Last updated October 20, 2026
The short version
Gift shoppers are still making room for meaningful moments.
Across major 2026 occasions, shoppers are putting real budgets behind celebrations and looking for gifts that feel personal, memorable, or distinct. The figures below are a snapshot of U.S. consumer intentions from the National Retail Federation’s surveys, not sales data from Lynne’s Creations.
$38B
Mother’s Day spending expected in 2026
The National Retail Federation reports an average planned spend of $284.25 per shopper, with unique gifts the most important factor for 46% of shoppers.
Source: National Retail Federation, April 21, 2026$7.2B
Graduation-gift spending expected in 2026
Thirty-nine percent of survey respondents said they planned to purchase a gift for a high school or college graduate.
Source: National Retail Federation, 2026 graduation survey$27.9B
Father’s Day spending expected in 2026
Shoppers expect to spend $226.58 on average. Forty-four percent said a gift that feels unique or different matters most.
Source: National Retail Federation, June 10, 2026$13.5B
Halloween spending expected in 2026
The National Retail Federation expects 74% of consumers to celebrate, with average planned spending of $115.14 per person.
Source: National Retail Federation, September 22, 202649%
Halloween shoppers who started by September or earlier
The share is up from 34% a decade earlier, showing how far seasonal shopping can begin before the calendar date itself.
Source: National Retail Federation, September 22, 2026Methodology and sources
How to use these figures.
Every figure on this page comes from the National Retail Federation’s 2026 consumer research, conducted with Prosper Insights & Analytics. The linked source beside each statistic provides its survey timing, sample details, and full context.
These are expected U.S. consumer-spending figures for individual occasions. They are useful for understanding seasonal gift shopping, but they are not a forecast for any one retailer or product category.
Cite this page
Lynne’s Creations. “U.S. Gift-Giving Statistics for 2026.” Updated October 20, 2026. https://lynnescreations.com/gift-giving-statistics
A little something personal
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