Early December Overtakes Black Friday as Peak Shopping Window
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – October 29, 2026 -- Twenty-nine percent of U.S. consumers plan to do most of their holiday shopping in early to mid-December, up from 19% in 2025, while Black Friday's share fell from 25% to 17%, according to the Bank of America 2026 Holiday Spending Survey.
Fewer shoppers also plan to start early. Only 38% say they have shopped or will shop earlier this year, down from 52% in 2025. Bank of America Institute's Consumer Checkpoint nonetheless shows holiday spending increasing at a solid rate through September, so sentiment is running cooler than actual spending.
Mary Hines Droesch, Head of Consumer and Small Business Products and Analytics at Bank of America, said consumers are being "more deliberate" this year, even as the bank's spending data shows a healthy season start.