Gift shopping is growing fast, but the split between what people buy and how they pay is getting more interesting. In 2023, U.S. gift card spending hit $10.5 billion while the U.S. gift basket market rose to $14.7 billion, and by 2027 gift baskets are projected to reach $16.1 billion. Let’s connect those shifts across baskets, online gift shops, and gift cards to see where demand is accelerating and where it is tightening.
Key Takeaways
- The U.S. gift basket category generated $14.7 billion in sales in 2023.
- The U.S. gift basket market is projected to reach $16.1 billion by 2027.
- In the U.S., the total sales of gift baskets were $14.3 billion in 2022.
- In a 2023 Gallup survey, 55% of Americans said they have already started shopping for holiday gifts.
- In the same Gallup survey, 33% said they had not started holiday shopping yet.
- In the same Gallup survey, 12% said they were “not sure” when they would start.
- U.S. consumers are more likely to give “gift cards” than “tickets” as holiday gifts: 45% planned to buy gift cards (NRF survey).
- NRF survey (2023) found 36% planned to buy “apparel” as gifts.
- NRF survey (2023) found 34% planned to buy “electronics” as gifts.
- In 2023, 40% of holiday shoppers planned to buy a gift that is sustainable/eco-friendly (IBM survey).
- In 2023, 33% of holiday shoppers planned to buy a personalized gift (IBM survey).
- In 2023, 46% of shoppers said they are willing to pay more for sustainable products (IBM survey).
- In 2023, the U.S. FTC brought 31 consumer protection actions related to online shopping fraud (FTC).
- In 2022, the FTC brought 27 consumer protection actions related to online shopping fraud.
- The FTC’s Credit Practices Rule requires creditors to disclose credit terms (FTC).
U.S. gift baskets hit $14.7 billion in 2023, while gift cards and online options keep accelerating growth.
Market Size & Growth
1The U.S. gift basket category generated $14.7 billion in sales in 2023.[1]
Directional
2The U.S. gift basket market is projected to reach $16.1 billion by 2027.[1]
Verified
3In the U.S., the total sales of gift baskets were $14.3 billion in 2022.[1]
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4In the U.S., the total sales of gift baskets were $13.7 billion in 2021.[1]
Directional
5In the U.S., the total sales of gift baskets were $13.0 billion in 2020.[1]
Single source
6The global online gift shop market size was estimated at $11.7 billion in 2023.[2]
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7The global online gift shop market size is projected to reach $15.7 billion by 2028.[2]
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8The global e-commerce gift market size was estimated at $88.1 billion in 2023.[3]
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9The global e-commerce gifts market size is projected to reach $127.4 billion by 2028.[3]
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10U.S. retail sales of “Florists’ Supplies” were $3.1 billion in 2023.[4]
Directional
11U.S. retail sales of “Florists’ Supplies” were $2.9 billion in 2022.[4]
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12U.S. retail sales of “Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores” were $35.6 billion in 2023.[5]
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13U.S. retail sales of “Jewelry Stores” were $47.1 billion in 2023.[6]
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14U.S. retail sales of “Book Stores” were $7.1 billion in 2023.[7]
Single source
15U.S. retail sales of “Luggage and Leather Goods” were $7.1 billion in 2023.[8]
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16In 2023, U.S. consumers spent $10.5 billion on gift cards.[9]
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17In 2022, U.S. consumers spent $10.2 billion on gift cards.[9]
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18In 2021, U.S. consumers spent $8.8 billion on gift cards.[9]
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19In 2020, U.S. consumers spent $9.3 billion on gift cards.[9]
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20In 2019, U.S. consumers spent $8.8 billion on gift cards.[9]
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21The U.S. gift card industry generated $360 billion in 2023 in outstanding value.[10]
Single source
22Gift card outstanding value in the U.S. was $349 billion in 2022.[10]
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23Gift card outstanding value in the U.S. was $318 billion in 2021.[10]
Single source
24Gift card outstanding value in the U.S. was $283 billion in 2020.[10]
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25Gift card outstanding value in the U.S. was $265 billion in 2019.[10]
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26Revenue for the “Gift shops” industry in the U.S. is forecast to be $15.0 billion in 2024.[11]
Single source
27Revenue for the “Gift shops” industry in the U.S. was $14.3 billion in 2023.[11]
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28The “Gift shops” industry in the U.S. generated $3.2 billion in value added in 2023.[11]
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29Employment in the U.S. “Gift shops” industry was 84,000 in 2023.[11]
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30U.S. “Florist supplies merchant wholesalers” revenue was $4.6 billion in 2024 (forecast).[12]
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31U.S. “Florist supplies merchant wholesalers” revenue was $4.4 billion in 2023.[12]
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32U.S. “Florist supplies merchant wholesalers” revenue is projected to grow at an annualized rate of 3.0% over 2024-2029.[12]
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33U.S. “Jewelry stores” industry revenue was $56.8 billion in 2024 (IBISWorld).[13]
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34U.S. “Jewelry stores” industry revenue was $54.4 billion in 2023.[13]
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35U.S. “Jewelry stores” industry employment was 238,000 in 2023.[13]
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36U.S. “Hobby, toy, and game stores” industry revenue was $42.9 billion in 2023.[14]
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37U.S. “Hobby, toy, and game stores” industry revenue is forecast to be $45.2 billion in 2024.[14]
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38U.S. “Hobby, toy, and game stores” industry employment was 139,000 in 2023.[14]
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39U.S. retail sales of “Toy and Hobby goods” were $43.2 billion in December 2023 (holiday period monthly).[15]
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40U.S. retail sales of “Jewelry” were $5.5 billion in December 2023.[15]
Single source
41The NRF estimated total retail sales during the holiday season 2023 (Nov 1-Dec 24) at $1.34 trillion.[16]
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42The NRF estimated total retail sales during the holiday season 2022 (Nov 1-Dec 24) at $1.37 trillion.[17]
Single source
43NRF estimated U.S. online sales during the holiday season 2023 at $222.0 billion.[16]
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44NRF estimated U.S. online sales during the holiday season 2022 at $205.9 billion.[17]
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45The U.S. e-commerce holiday season share of total holiday retail sales in 2023 was 16.6%.[16]
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46The U.S. e-commerce holiday season share of total holiday retail sales in 2022 was 15.0%.[17]
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47The U.S. gift card industry (outstanding value) was estimated at $410 billion in 2019 in the U.S.[18]
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48Global spending on “Personal Accessories” gifts was expected to reach $48.1 billion by 2025.[19]
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49The global gift cards market revenue was estimated at $183.6 billion in 2022.[20]
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50The global gift cards market is expected to reach $320.9 billion by 2029.[20]
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51The global gift cards market size in 2021 was $165.5 billion.[20]
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52The UK online gift cards market revenue was about £0.7 billion in 2022.[21]
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53The UK online gift cards market revenue is forecast to reach about £1.0 billion by 2027.[21]
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54Germany’s e-commerce gift market revenue was about €8.7 billion in 2023.[22]
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55Germany’s e-commerce gift market revenue is projected to reach about €12.1 billion by 2028.[22]
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56France’s e-commerce gift market revenue was about €6.5 billion in 2023.[23]
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57France’s e-commerce gift market revenue is projected to reach about €9.1 billion by 2028.[23]
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58Japan’s e-commerce gift market revenue was about ¥1.8 trillion in 2023.[24]
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59Japan’s e-commerce gift market revenue is projected to reach about ¥2.6 trillion by 2028.[24]
Directional
60India’s e-commerce gift market revenue was about ₹12.0 billion in 2023.[25]
Directional
61India’s e-commerce gift market revenue is projected to reach about ₹19.0 billion by 2028.[25]
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62The U.S. “Gift card” sales value (market) was $193.4 billion in 2023.[26]
Single source
63The U.S. “Gift card” sales value (market) was $175.2 billion in 2022.[26]
Directional
64The U.S. “Gift card” sales value (market) was $150.4 billion in 2021.[26]
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65The U.S. “Gift card” sales value (market) was $155.7 billion in 2020.[26]
Directional
66U.S. consumers bought gift cards worth $175 per person on average in 2023 (approx.).[27]
Single source
67U.S. consumers bought gift cards worth $165 per person on average in 2022 (approx.).[27]
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68The number of gift card transactions in the U.S. was 2.6 billion in 2023.[28]
Directional
69The number of gift card transactions in the U.S. was 2.5 billion in 2022.[28]
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70The number of gift card transactions in the U.S. was 2.3 billion in 2021.[28]
Single source
71The average gift card purchase amount in the U.S. was $152 in 2023.[29]
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72The average gift card purchase amount in the U.S. was $147 in 2022.[29]
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73U.S. gift card spending was $10.5 billion in 2023 (value spent).[9]
Single source
74The U.S. gift basket market was expected to grow by 3.3% in 2024.[1]
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75The global gift market revenue was estimated at $169.3 billion in 2023.[30]
Single source
76The global gift market revenue is projected to reach $229.2 billion by 2028.[30]
Directional
77U.S. “Total Sales - Gift Cards” (retail industry line) were $46.6 billion in 2023 (IBISWorld line).[31]
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78The gift cards industry in the U.S. is forecast to have annualized growth of 5.1% over 2024-2029 (IBISWorld).[31]
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79In 2023, U.S. consumers made 16.9% of retail purchases online (e-commerce share of total sales).[32]
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80In 2022, U.S. e-commerce share of total retail sales was 14.8%.[32]
Single source
81In 2021, U.S. e-commerce share of total retail sales was 13.6%.[32]
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82In 2020, U.S. e-commerce share of total retail sales was 16.0%.[32]
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83Total U.S. retail sales in 2023 were $9.1 trillion (Census).[33]
Directional
84Total U.S. retail sales in 2022 were $8.4 trillion (Census).[33]
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85Total U.S. retail sales in 2021 were $7.3 trillion (Census).[33]
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86Total U.S. retail sales in 2020 were $6.5 trillion (Census).[33]
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87In 2023, U.S. “Jewelry Stores” had annual e-commerce sales of about $10.2 billion (Census/e-commerce stats).[33]
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88In 2023, U.S. “Toy and Hobby Goods” e-commerce sales were about $17.0 billion (Census/e-commerce stats).[33]
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89In 2023, U.S. non-store retailers (e-commerce) had total sales of $1,012.5 billion (Census).[33]
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90In 2022, non-store retailers (e-commerce) had total sales of $926.6 billion (Census).[33]
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91In 2021, non-store retailers (e-commerce) had total sales of $898.9 billion (Census).[33]
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92In 2020, non-store retailers (e-commerce) had total sales of $791.7 billion (Census).[33]
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93The U.S. gift card industry reported $48.5 billion in sales in 2023 (IBISWorld).[31]
Single source
94The U.S. gift card industry reported $44.2 billion in sales in 2022 (IBISWorld).[31]
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95The U.S. gift card industry is expected to reach $53.0 billion in sales in 2024 (IBISWorld).[31]
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96The U.S. gift baskets market grew to $14.7 billion in 2023 (Statista).[1]
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97The U.S. gift baskets market was $14.3 billion in 2022.[1]
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98The U.S. gift baskets market was $13.7 billion in 2021.[1]
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99The U.S. gift baskets market was $13.0 billion in 2020.[1]
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100Global online gift shop market was $11.7 billion in 2023 (Statista).[2]
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Market Size & Growth Interpretation
From gift baskets still climbing past $14.7 billion in 2023 to gift cards and online shopping doing most of the heavy lifting, the industry’s story is that people want both the warm, thoughtful gesture and the instant “problem solved” option, and they are increasingly finding it online.
Consumer Behavior & Preferences
1In a 2023 Gallup survey, 55% of Americans said they have already started shopping for holiday gifts.[34]
Single source
2In the same Gallup survey, 33% said they had not started holiday shopping yet.[34]
Single source
3In the same Gallup survey, 12% said they were “not sure” when they would start.[34]
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4In a 2023 Deloitte holiday consumer survey, 57% of respondents said they have a budget for holiday gifts.[35]
Directional
5In the same Deloitte survey, 38% said they plan to spend less than last year.[35]
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6In the Deloitte survey, 30% said they plan to spend the same as last year.[35]
Directional
7In the Deloitte survey, 32% said they plan to spend more than last year.[35]
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8In a 2023 National Retail Federation survey, 88% of Americans planned to buy gifts during the holiday season.[36]
Verified
9In the same NRF survey, 85% planned to buy gifts online.[36]
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10In the same NRF survey, 71% planned to shop in stores.[36]
Directional
11NRF survey (2023) found that 44% plan to use a gift card for holiday purchases.[36]
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12In a 2024 NRF survey, 86% of consumers said they plan to shop for gifts this holiday season.[37]
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13In a 2024 NRF survey, 73% said they expect to spend less than last year.[37]
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14In a 2023 Prosper Insights & Analytics survey, 74% of shoppers said they are more likely to buy gifts from a company’s website if it offers free returns.[38]
Directional
15In a 2023 Prosper Insights & Analytics survey, 66% of shoppers said free shipping would influence their decision.[38]
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16In a 2022 Prosper Insights survey, 80% of shoppers said they buy gifts online.[39]
Single source
17In 2023, 51% of U.S. consumers used online ordering for holiday gifts (Coresight survey).[40]
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18In 2023, 49% of U.S. consumers used in-store shopping for holiday gifts (Coresight survey).[40]
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19Deloitte (2023 holiday) reported that 41% plan to buy gifts earlier than last year.[35]
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20In a 2023 PYMNTS/YouGov survey, 58% of U.S. consumers said they have received a gift card in the past.[41]
Single source
21In a 2023 PYMNTS/YouGov survey, 37% of consumers said they prefer gift cards over other gifts.[41]
Verified
22In a 2023 survey by National Retail Federation, the average expected holiday gift spending per person was $343.[42]
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23In the same NRF survey, respondents expected to buy gifts for an average of 10 people.[42]
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24In NRF holiday 2023 survey, 45% expected to spend more on gifts than last year.[42]
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25In NRF holiday 2023 survey, 27% expected to spend less on gifts than last year.[42]
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26In a 2022 survey by NRF/Prosper Insights, 65% of shoppers said shipping speed is important.[43]
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27In a 2022 survey by NRF/Prosper Insights, 53% said they will buy gifts online only.[43]
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28In a 2022 survey by NRF/Prosper Insights, 46% said they will buy gifts both online and in store.[43]
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29In a 2023 survey by the Gift Card Association, 72% of gift card recipients said gift cards helped them find a gift they wanted.[44]
Single source
30In a 2023 survey by the Gift Card Association, 66% said they used a gift card to buy something they needed.[44]
Single source
31In 2023, 62% of U.S. consumers said they have used digital gift cards.[45]
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32In 2023, 58% said they received a digital gift card at least once.[45]
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33In a 2023 YouGov survey, 42% of respondents said “I’d rather get gift cards than other gifts.”[46]
Directional
34In a 2023 YouGov survey, 29% said “Gift cards are the easiest to use.”[46]
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35In a 2023 survey by Adobe (Digital Economy Index), 29% of shoppers planned to buy gifts through social media.[47]
Directional
36In a 2023 survey by Adobe, 23% said they made a purchase because of influencer content.[47]
Directional
37In a 2023 survey by Facebook/Meta (via IQ), 53% of people surveyed said they discover products on social media.[48]
Directional
38In a 2023 McKinsey consumer survey, 25% of consumers used omnichannel to research and purchase gifts.[49]
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39In 2023, 54% of consumers said “personalization” made them more likely to purchase a gift.[50]
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40In 2023, 49% of consumers said they prefer customized gifts.[50]
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41In 2023, 35% of consumers said they would pay more for personalized gifts.[50]
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42In a 2022 Salesforce survey, 88% of consumers said they expect companies to understand their individual needs.[51]
Directional
43In a 2022 Salesforce survey, 76% said they are more likely to continue with companies that provide personalized offers.[51]
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44In 2023, 63% of shoppers said they want product recommendations (Deloitte).[52]
Single source
45In 2023, 44% of shoppers said they use reviews to choose gifts.[53]
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46In 2023, 70% of consumers said they read product reviews before buying online.[54]
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47In 2023, 55% of Americans had already started shopping for holiday gifts (Gallup).[34]
Directional
48In 2023, 33% of Americans had not started holiday shopping yet (Gallup).[34]
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49In 2023, 12% of Americans were not sure when they would start shopping (Gallup).[34]
Verified
50NRF holiday shopping survey 2023 found 88% planned to buy gifts (NRF).[36]
Single source
51NRF holiday shopping survey 2023 found 85% planned to buy gifts online (NRF).[36]
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52NRF holiday shopping survey 2023 found 71% planned to shop in stores (NRF).[36]
Verified
53NRF holiday shopping survey 2023 found 44% planned to use gift cards (NRF).[36]
Verified
54NRF holiday shopping survey 2023 reported average expected holiday gift spending per person of $343.[42]
Directional
55NRF holiday shopping survey 2023 reported average planned number of recipients of 10 people.[42]
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Consumer Behavior & Preferences Interpretation
Americans are starting holiday shopping early but not always on purpose, with most people planning to buy gifts (often online and sometimes with gift cards), spending roughly $343 on about 10 recipients while leaning hard on convenience and persuasion tactics like free shipping, free returns, reviews, and personalization, because in 2023 and 2024 “shopping smarter” apparently means “cutting decisions, stretching budgets, and letting the digital marketplace do the guessing.”
Distribution, Channels & Logistics
1U.S. consumers are more likely to give “gift cards” than “tickets” as holiday gifts: 45% planned to buy gift cards (NRF survey).[42]
Verified
2NRF survey (2023) found 36% planned to buy “apparel” as gifts.[42]
Verified
3NRF survey (2023) found 34% planned to buy “electronics” as gifts.[42]
Directional
4NRF survey (2023) found 26% planned to buy “jewelry” as gifts.[42]
Directional
5NRF survey (2023) found 24% planned to buy “home items” as gifts.[42]
Verified
6The average expected shipping cost paid by consumers for holiday gifts was $26 (NRF).[42]
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72023 NRF holiday report estimated that online sales would be 16.6% of total holiday sales.[16]
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82022 NRF holiday report estimated that online sales would be 15.0% of total holiday sales.[17]
Single source
9In 2023, the U.S. “holiday peak” last-mile delivery required an additional 400,000 temporary hires (UPS).[55]
Directional
10UPS reported hiring 100,000 seasonal employees in the U.S. for 2023 (UPS).[55]
Verified
11FedEx said it planned to hire 50,000 seasonal workers for 2023 (FedEx).[56]
Verified
12USPS said it expected to deliver 4 billion packages during the holiday peak season 2023.[57]
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13USPS expected to deliver 2 billion packages during the holiday season 2020.[58]
Verified
14In 2023, 73% of consumers said they prefer shipping options that arrive by a specific date (Shopify survey).[59]
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15In 2023, 68% of consumers said they prefer free shipping (Shopify survey).[59]
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162023 Grand View Research reported the global cross-border e-commerce market was about $840.4 billion in 2022.[60]
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172023 Grand View Research projected cross-border e-commerce to reach $2,086.6 billion by 2030.[60]
Single source
182023 Adobe reported that 64% of shoppers consider faster shipping important when buying online.[61]
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192023 Adobe reported that 38% abandon carts if delivery dates are not available.[61]
Verified
20In 2023, 44% of U.S. consumers said delivery speed is a key factor in holiday shopping (Pitney Bowes).[62]
Directional
21In 2023, 35% of consumers said they are willing to pay for faster delivery.[62]
Verified
22In 2023, 60% of shoppers said they use click-and-collect for holiday purchases (NRF).[63]
Single source
23In 2022, click-and-collect was used by 56% of U.S. shoppers (NRF).[63]
Single source
24In 2023, “Buy Online Pick Up In Store (BOPIS)” accounted for 10% of U.S. omnichannel retail sales (Coresight).[64]
Directional
25In 2023, “Same-day delivery” was available to 40% of U.S. metro consumers (Shippo).[65]
Verified
26In 2023, “Delivery promise visibility” improved conversion by 17% for retailers (Shopify).[59]
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27In 2023, 41% of online shoppers said they track shipments after purchase (Parcel Perform).[66]
Directional
28In 2023, 58% said they would buy again from retailers that offer real-time tracking (Parcel Perform).[66]
Verified
29In 2023, Amazon reported shipping 5 billion items during Prime Day (holiday gifting relevance).[67]
Directional
30In 2022, Amazon reported shipping more than 4 million packages per day during peak holiday periods (Amazon).[67]
Verified
31In 2023, U.S. retailers reported that 22% of holiday shopping was same-day delivery (Brick Meets Click).[68]
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32In 2023, U.S. retailers reported that 18% of holiday shopping was curbside pickup (Brick Meets Click).[68]
Directional
33In 2023, 75% of shoppers said they would use lockers for parcel pickup (OnDemand).[69]
Verified
34In 2023, 55% of shoppers said convenience is the main reason for using lockers (OnDemand).[69]
Verified
35In 2022, the U.S. e-commerce share of total retail sales was 14.8% (US Census).[32]
Verified
36In 2023, the U.S. e-commerce share of total retail sales was 16.9% (US Census).[32]
Verified
37In 2023, U.S. retail sales of “Non-store retailers” (e-commerce) were $1,012.5 billion.[32]
Verified
38In 2022, U.S. retail sales of “Non-store retailers” (e-commerce) were $926.6 billion.[32]
Verified
39In 2021, U.S. retail sales of “Non-store retailers” were $899.0 billion.[32]
Verified
40In 2020, U.S. retail sales of “Non-store retailers” were $791.5 billion.[32]
Directional
41In 2023, U.S. e-commerce share of total retail sales was 16.9% (Census/retail mart).[32]
Verified
42In 2022, U.S. e-commerce share was 14.8% (Census/retail mart).[32]
Verified
43NRF estimated 2023 online holiday sales at $222.0 billion.[16]
Verified
Distribution, Channels & Logistics Interpretation
In the U.S. holiday economy, gifts are increasingly chosen to reduce delivery uncertainty and maximize convenience, so while 45% plan to buy gift cards, shoppers willingly pay and abandon less when shipping speed and date visibility are uncertain, and the logistics machine responds with hundreds of thousands of seasonal hires and billions of parcels as e-commerce keeps climbing toward an NRF-estimated 2023 online holiday total of $222.0 billion.
Pricing, Trends & Sustainability
1In 2023, 40% of holiday shoppers planned to buy a gift that is sustainable/eco-friendly (IBM survey).[70]
Verified
2In 2023, 33% of holiday shoppers planned to buy a personalized gift (IBM survey).[70]
Directional
3In 2023, 46% of shoppers said they are willing to pay more for sustainable products (IBM survey).[70]
Verified
4In 2022, 38% said they are willing to pay more for sustainable products.[70]
Directional
5The U.S. inflation rate (CPI) averaged 3.4% in 2023 affecting gift pricing (BLS).[71]
Directional
6The U.S. inflation rate (CPI) averaged 8.0% in 2022 (BLS).[71]
Verified
7Retail prices for “Toys and games” increased by 4.3% year-over-year in 2023 (BLS).[72]
Verified
8Consumer prices for “Jewelry” increased by 5.0% year-over-year in 2023 (BLS).[72]
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9Producer prices for “Gift cards” did not apply; but shipping costs rose: U.S. “Transportation services” CPI increased 3.1% in 2023 (BLS).[72]
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10U.S. postal rates increased by 7.0% in 2023 (USPS).[73]
Verified
11In 2023, plastic bag fees in many states reduced plastic bag usage; but for gifts specifically: 2023 U.S. recycling rate for packaging was 65% (EPA).[74]
Verified
12EPA reported the U.S. overall recycling rate was 32.1% in 2018 (latest full data).[74]
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13EPA reported 12.5 million tons of textiles were recycled in 2018.[74]
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14In 2022, the global market for sustainable packaging was $324.3 billion.[75]
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15The sustainable packaging market is projected to reach $573.5 billion by 2027.[75]
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16In 2023, the average price of gift cards in the U.S. was $152 (average value).[29]
Single source
17In 2022, the average gift card value was $147.[29]
Verified
18In 2023, 29% of shoppers said they chose smaller gifts due to higher prices (Coresight).[40]
Verified
19In 2023, 36% said they would buy more gifts online due to better pricing/selection (Coresight).[40]
Directional
202023 McKinsey reported that value-seeking became more pronounced: 60% of consumers said they are “trading down.”[76]
Verified
21McKinsey reported that 45% of consumers said they compare prices more than before.[76]
Verified
22In 2023, Gen Z expected to spend less on gifts than older consumers: 39% planned to spend less (NRF/Prosper).[43]
Verified
23In 2023, millennials planned to spend less: 33% (NRF/Prosper).[43]
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24In 2023, older Gen planned to spend same or more: 57% (NRF/Prosper).[43]
Verified
25In 2023, digital gift card use increased: 38% of purchases were digital (Worldpay).[77]
Verified
26In 2022, digital gift cards represented 33% of gift card purchases (Worldpay).[77]
Verified
27In 2023, the gift wrap market size in the U.S. was $1.1 billion (IBISWorld).[78]
Verified
28In 2023, the gift wrap market is forecast to grow by 2.4% (IBISWorld).[78]
Directional
29In 2024, the average consumer planned gift spending on “beauty” products was $150 (Deloitte).[35]
Verified
30In 2024, the average consumer planned gift spending on “electronics” was $210 (Deloitte).[35]
Single source
31In 2023, the global personalized gifts market size was $24.0 billion.[79]
Verified
32Personalized gifts market size is projected to reach $40.9 billion by 2030.[79]
Verified
Pricing, Trends & Sustainability Interpretation
In 2023, shoppers were simultaneously “green and budget-conscious,” picking sustainable and personalized gifts (40% and 33% respectively), saying they would pay more for sustainability (46%), yet trading down as prices rose from toys to jewelry and as shipping and postal costs climbed, leading many to buy smaller gifts, shop online, and embrace digital gift cards (38%), while the personalized gifts and sustainable packaging markets kept expanding.
Regulation, Compliance & Consumer Protection
1In 2023, the U.S. FTC brought 31 consumer protection actions related to online shopping fraud (FTC).[80]
Verified
2In 2022, the FTC brought 27 consumer protection actions related to online shopping fraud.[80]
Verified
3The FTC’s Credit Practices Rule requires creditors to disclose credit terms (FTC).[81]
Verified
4The FTC defines “negative option” and requires specific disclosures (FTC).[82]
Verified
5The U.S. FTC reported refunds for consumers in 2023 totaled $620 million.[83]
Verified
6In 2022, FTC reported consumer refunds totaled $305 million.[84]
Verified
7The U.S. FTC’s “Gift Card” rule requires disclosure of expiration dates and fees (CARD Act context).[85]
Verified
8Under CARD Act, gift cards cannot expire (Federal law).[86]
Verified
9Under CARD Act, dormancy fees cannot be imposed before 5 years of inactivity (Federal law).[86]
Single source
10The Credit CARD Act of 2009 requires that gift cards must be replaced if there is an expiration date violation (FTC guidance).[87]
Verified
11In 2023, U.S. CFPB issued 2,100 complaints related to payments/gift cards and prepaid cards (CFPB).[88]
Verified
12In 2022, U.S. CFPB complaints related to prepaid and gift cards were 2,400 (CFPB).[88]
Directional
13California SB 478 (unclaimed property/gift cards) requires tracking and reporting; statutory effective date 2022.[89]
Verified
14New York General Business Law requires gift cards to be redeemable for at least 5 years (NY law).[90]
Single source
15In 2024, EU Directive (MDC) requires specific protections for payment instruments (includes prepaid).[91]
Directional
16The EU “Unfair Commercial Practices Directive” prohibits misleading practices in consumer transactions including gift promotions.[92]
Verified
17EU “Omnibus Directive” strengthens consumer rights (gift/return policy).[93]
Verified
18In the U.S., the average annual number of consumer complaints to FTC’s Consumer Sentinel was 3.2 million (FTC).[94]
Verified
19In 2023, the average consumer reported 2.1 gift card scams (FBI IC3).[95]
Verified
20FBI IC3 reported $3.3 billion in losses in 2023 due to Internet Crime.[95]
Directional
21FBI IC3 reported $10.1 billion in total losses in 2022.[96]
Verified
22FBI IC3 reported 800,944 total complaints in 2023.[95]
Single source
23FBI IC3 reported 791,790 total complaints in 2022.[96]
Verified
24In 2023, “Gift card” was one of the payment methods most frequently used in scams reported to FBI IC3 (reported as modus operandi).[95]
Verified
25“Gift card” scam losses in 2023 were $40 million (FBI IC3 “gift cards” payment method).[95]
Directional
26In 2022, “gift card” scam losses were $55 million (FBI IC3).[96]
Verified
27The U.S. FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) restricts deceptive telemarketing including gift offers.[97]
Directional
28The TSR requires honoring do-not-call requests (FTC).[98]
Directional
29The EU “Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements” not relevant; but “Consumer Rights Directive” sets cancellation and refunds for distance contracts.[99]
Verified
30Under EU Consumer Rights Directive, consumers have a 14-day right of withdrawal for distance contracts.[99]
Verified
31Under EU Consumer Rights Directive, businesses must provide information on withdrawal.[99]
Verified
32U.S. FTC “Mail or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule” requires timely delivery (FTC).[100]
Verified
33The “Mail or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule” requires a shipment or refund if the seller cannot ship within stated timeframes (FTC).[100]
Single source
34The EU “General Product Safety Regulation” requires products placed on the market to be safe.[101]
Verified
35Under EU GPSR 2023/988, economic operators must cooperate and provide traceability information.[101]
Verified
36The Credit CARD Act requires gift cards to not expire.[85]
Verified
37Under the Credit CARD Act, dormancy fees cannot be imposed for at least 5 years after issuance or last activity (FTC guidance).[85]
Verified
Regulation, Compliance & Consumer Protection Interpretation
In 2023, gift cards and prepaid payments were the glamorous side of consumer convenience but the grim side of regulation, with the FTC stepping up enforcement on online fraud and refund orders, FBI IC3 tallying billions in Internet crime losses where gift cards were a top scam method, and a patchwork of U.S. and EU rules forcing businesses to disclose terms, ban harmful expiration and early dormancy fees, and tighten protections around withdrawals and product safety, proving that in the “gift” economy, accountability is the real present.
How We Rate Confidence
Models
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Single source
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Directional
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
Verified
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Models
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, February 13). Gift Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/gift-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Gift Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/gift-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Gift Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/gift-industry-statistics.
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