Good news: shoppers plan to spend this holiday season. Bad news: you might miss them.

A plan that goes live the week before Black Friday reaches shoppers who are two months into holiday shopping. The first wishlist, the first shopping trip, the first gift purchase happen before you’re even in the mix.

Source: InMarket study conducted in partnership with Kantar, who provided the sample data. Based on an online survey of 1,983 US adults fielded in July 2026 and weighted to US Census demographics.

And shoppers don’t all move at the same time. Gen Z’s first purchase, Boomers’ first store trip, and the moment each generation stops browsing and starts buying land on different weeks, which means one campaign launch date can’t catch all of them.

InMarket’s 2026 Holiday Shopping InSights report, built from InMarket purchase and visit data and a national survey of shopper intent, unwraps how AI, the economy, and generational differences are impacting holiday shopping. It also lays out how marketers must approach the entire Decision Season: the multi-month period when consumers research, browse, and shop for the holidays.