Latest in Holiday Trends…Self Gifting

It’s Thanksgiving week here in the U.S., and that means there is no way possible to escape the Black Friday holiday shopping ads everywhere you go. With increasing attention and focus on the importance of one’s mental health and personal care, a rising trend in holiday shopping seems to be gaining more traction. According to CivicScience, about 1 in 3 U.S. adults plan to buy themselves a holiday gift in 2024.

Self-gifting isn’t necessarily a new trend, but it seems to be something that is more likely to occur in younger generations. Sixty-two percent of holiday shoppers aged 18-24 (GenZ) reported plans to self-gift this season, while 42% of shoppers 25-34 (GenY) shared similar plans. Adults 35–54 years old were just below the overall average at 30%, while only 1 in 5 adults 55+ indicated plans to self-gift. From a gender perspective, women were more likely than men to participate.

For businesses, a note of interest is that self-gifters are likely to spend more overall on holiday shopping this season. To take advantage of this trend, retailers can focus on highlighting items that can be seen as comforting or self-care focused. Marketing to and encouraging shoppers to consider a self-gift option can help grow revenue and have positive effects for your clients as well.

Studies show that self-gifting offers added benefits like stress-relief, enhanced feelings of well-being, and raising one’s self-esteem levels. It might be a trend worth embracing, and the final positive is the knowledge that you will have at least one gift under the tree this year you really want!