New eGuide: What Holiday Shoppers Want

The 2026 holiday season is shaping up to be bigger and more challenging at the same time. Shoppers will start earlier, research on more platforms, and abandon more carts than they did a year ago. CJ's new report, Holiday Season Insights 2026, pulls together the forecasts, consumer research, and partner recommendations marketing leaders need to plan for all of it. Here is what you will find inside. 

Spending forecasts and price-consciousness 

eMarketer projects holiday retail sales will grow 4.1 percent and pass $1.4 trillion for the first time. Much of the lift is coming from price increases instead of stronger demand. Physical stores will still take close to 80 percent of holiday sales, but ecommerce is growing at twice the pace of brick-and-mortar retail, expected to be up 7 percent to more than $300 billion and a record 21.5 percent share. The report walks through what those numbers mean for a shopper who is spending more, mostly because things cost more, and why value messaging will matter more this season than in any recent one. 
Download Holiday Season Insights 2026 for the full guide

Consumer behavior research on choice and validation

Choice has become a burden. Accenture found that 76 percent of shoppers feel overwhelmed by too many product options, and 85 percent are likely to abandon a cart out of frustration or indecision. More places to discover,  evaluate, and look for reassurance before buying. The report breaks down three paths to purchase (brand-led, social-led, and AI-led) and shows where reviews, comparisons, expert content, and rewards enter the decision, helping a shopper feel confident enough to check out. 

A map of the non-linear path to purchase  

The old journey ran from search to retailer in a few steps. The new one bounces between AI tools, creators, editorial content, gift guides, comparison sites, reviews, and social proof before a shopper ever checks a price, and then through coupons, cashback, and loyalty programs before the sale closes. Research from WooCommerce showed 43 percent of shoppers research on one platform and buy on another, and 64 percent name reviews as their top purchase driver. The report maps every stop along that route so you can see where your brand shows up and where it goes missing. 

Partner strategies for the season 

The back half of the report is a playbook. It covers launching promotions earlier, since Similarweb and The Trade Desk both found many shoppers researching well before Black Friday. It then provides rationale for rewarding top partners with exclusive offers, custom creative, and limited-time opportunities that earn stronger placement. It also makes the case for activating coupon and cashback partners, pointing to Adobe data showing affiliate and partner channels drove more than 20 percent of holiday online revenue. And it explains how to align offers with shopper segments. 

A four-stage touchpoint framework and a timing guide for recruiting, funding, and engaging partners round out the report. If you are setting holiday budgets and partner priorities right now, this is the read. 

Get the report and learn how to succeed during Holiday Season 2026