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October 23, 2025
Should Holiday Messages Focus More on Self-Gifting?
PwC’s 2025 Holiday Outlook survey found U.S. Gen Z consumers plan to spend 39% of their holiday budget on gifts for themselves, with millennials at 38%, and boomers, 33%. Does the traditional “gift of giving” holiday messaging have to be expanded?
Other forecasts show strong interest in gift-giving, including a survey from influencer commerce marketing platform LTK showing 90% of U.S. consumers planning to shop for themselves while buying gifts for others this holiday season, up from last year. Beauty and personal care products top the list for self-gifting across all generations, with entertainment and fashion close behind.
CivicScience found 28% of holiday shoppers plan to buy themselves a gift. Another 24% remain undecided, with that share nearly doubling over the past two years. CivicScience wrote, “For advertisers, that means there’s not only a solid base of confirmed self-gifters to reach, but also an emerging group that can still be persuaded.”
The impact of self-gifting on holiday selling started receiving heightened attention around 2010 when consumers were seen indulging themselves after cutting back during the Great Recession.
Self-gifting in recent years is reportedly being driven by the increased emphasis on self-care and wellness. University studies that have shown consumers are self-gifting regularly, with benefits like stress release, a sense of relaxation, an enhanced feeling of well-being, and elevated self-esteem levels.
Another factor that could be driving self-gifting is Gen Z’s high engagement with social influencer marketing. Finally, self-gifting is seen increasing during the holidays as those shopping for gifts for others are likely to pick something for themselves.
Self-Gifting and the Holiday Messaging Around the Trend
The growth in self-gifting has led to a wide range of advice on how to reach self-gifters during the holiday.
Lauren Lombardo — lead CSM, strategic at Attentive — wrote in a blog entry, “We’ve found that self-gifting messaging can increase AOV during the holiday shopping season. It’s an easy way to remind customers that as they shop for others, they can treat themselves at the same time. Messaging like ‘Treat yourself and a bestie,’ tends to work well in these campaigns.”
Salsify’s 2024 holiday study urged retailers and brands to consider how their unique audience fits within the self-gifting trend “and offer specific promotions and discounts that could drive incentives to self-spend, such as buy one, get one free (BOGO) offers; bundle deals; or free gifts for spending a select amount.”
CivicScience research finds that, versus those who do not plan to buy themselves a gift, self-gifters are more financially literate, more drawn to socially conscious brands, more brand loyal overall, and more open to trying new products.
CivicScience added, “They’re more likely to say they don’t always stick to their plans, make decisions quickly and confidently, and often rely on emotions over pure objectivity. This suggests they’re confident, emotionally driven consumers who act on instinct and can be swayed by the right message.”
Discussion Questions
What advice would you have about reaching self-gifters over the holiday season?
Should self-gifting receive more prominent messaging in holiday campaigns?
Poll
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Self-gifting has become a more significant part of holiday spending, likely driven by the desire to indulge a little during more challenging times. However, it shouldn’t form the bulk of holiday messaging, as most people still focus on giving to others and creating a good time for family and friends. Moreover, any messaging on self-gifting should emphasize self-care rather than pure selfish indulgence.
It’s increasingly worthwhile for retailers to build marketing specifically around self-gifting this season — but as an adjunct strategy, not a full replacement for traditional gift-giving campaigns. Many shoppers plan to buy for themselves during the holidays, driven by value, treat-yourself moments and a culture of self-care.
For targeting self-gifters, focus on positioning items as “you deserve this” or “treat yourself” picks — whether that’s premium upgrades, limited-edition bundles or smaller indulgences. Messages like “While you shop for others, don’t forget you” tap into the mindset without detracting from the gift-giving story. Retailers can feature dedicated self-gift sections or promos (“Buy one for you, one for a friend”), and tailor copy to highlight urgency or exclusivity: folks may use the holiday window both to buy for others and themselves.
Still, self-gifting messaging should supplement, not substitute, the core holiday framing of “giving to others.” Traditional gifting remains the dominant driver and emotional anchor of the season. By layering in a self-gift dimension, brands can capture incremental spend, boost average order value, and engage both the givers and the treat-themselves crowd. Done well, the dual approach broadens appeal and meets more shopper motivations without eroding the generosity and sentiment that fuel holiday sales.
Self-gifting…?!? Isn’t that what we do for ourselves the other 10-11 months of the year? A holiday treat is one thing, but how about gifting where there is very real, and probably unmet, need? Like charities and animal shelters and food banks and homeless shelters and……
Not sure where I read this or who wrote it, but…
Do something nice for someone today. And don’t get caught.
Thinking about others has become out of fashion.
Those thoughts could be more appealing, as middle to lower economic populations are going to be really stretched to buy for family. Being “told” to buy for self/splurge/you deserve is tone deaf. It creates either guilt or embarrassment, and both add to stress.
Gifts can be time & attention, instead of money… volunteering or family time doing things for neighbors (eg shoveling a snowy walkway). Or homemade ‘coupons’ for those future weather days (eg helping someone run an errand).
Adding to stress should be what Retailers & Marketing AVOID.
The “you deserve it” has always been annoying to me… that a Brand pretends to know you/your needs.
Consumers plan to spend 33-39% of their holiday gift-giving budget this year on gifts for themselves? That seems kind of messed up to me. The gifts we buy in the Golden Quarter are supposed to be for other people.
I’m with Jeff: we have the other 10-11 months each year to buy for ourselves.
I’m in as well, Georganne.
Promoting self-gifting can help retailers and brands boost their top line (and the economy).
Revenge shopping was a popular form of self-indulgent retail therapy for consumers with pent-up demand during the pandemic. Singles Day, the biggest retail event in the world, started as a celebration of consumers who would buy gifts for themselves.
That was an over the top push post-pandemic…
Cute for youngers who didn’t lose homes or livelihoods; felt boredom.
But for retailers to push it was tone deaf. At least to the millions of family members who lost loved ones, lost work/breadwinners, and had to cover debt, hospital bills, and plan memorials. [a horrid time that was not a free moment; not learning a craft, or binge TV, or web shopping for fun]
When nearly 40% of Gen Z’s and a third or more of Millennials’ and Boomers’ budgets are for self-gifting, the short-term play is obvious: boost AOV, capture incremental spend, and tap into self-care messaging. But the long-term cost is subtler: retailers are training consumers to see holiday budgets primarily as personal indulgence rather than as gifts for others. Every “treat yourself” message teaches consumers that generosity is optional during the one season explicitly about it. If the holiday season loses its distinctive focus on giving to others, why would consumers maintain elevated spending levels at all? The better play is to acknowledge that self-purchases happen without making them the message. The emotional pull of the holidays, and the spending it generates, still comes from the act of giving to others, not from shopping for ourselves with a self-care excuse.
Each holiday starts losing the meaning of its Day(s).
The day AFTER has alway been, “treat yourself” as well. And January clearance sales also, “treat yourself”.
There is no retail therapy that will erase the burdens being put upon the American people right now. Credit & BNPL usage will be telling.
If your target is millionaires, every day is gifting.
If your target is losing health insurance rates (or jobs altogether) your message will not sit well.
The survey data is already old considering the velocity of change in USA:
“PwC surveyed 4,000 consumers in the US between June 26 and July 9, 2025. Respondents in the online survey were broadly representative of the US population across gender, region or state and generational group, with 1,000 respondents each from Gen Z, millennials, Gen X and baby boomers”
The PwC and LTK data—particularly the approx 40% self-gifting budget among Gen Z—makes a compelling case: Self-gifting is now a strategic imperative, not a secondary trend. Holiday messaging must evolve from a singular focus on altruism to a dual narrative that validates the “earned self-reward” impulse.
This necessary strategic alignment introduces two critical considerations for Q4 campaigns:
I happen to disagree on the vocal marketing push… versus primary focus on the time spent (thinking of another & being with another person).
The USA is a country losing humanity… the Billionaires being InYourFace on 24/7 feeds.
The Golden Rule and family are more healing (and sustainable lifestyles).
Hate & greed are being shown to be good, and that is at odds with the actual holidays the gifts are for.
“Self” has every other month of the year. That message will burn out & stress out the economically challenged.
As many others have stated on this thread, no one needs a message to gift themselves. “One for you and one for me” is common practice for some. Help with finding just the right gift for others is what is required.
I’ve noticed self-gifting becoming a bigger part of the holidays. Customers are not only buying for others, they are also treating themselves, looking for experiences that feel personal and meaningful. This trend really shows how many emotions and connections influence buying decisions today.
Retailers have a real opportunity here. Simple steps like offering bundles, personalization, or small incentives for self-reward can make a brand feel relevant. The companies that balance giving to others with treating yourself are the ones that will stand out and build stronger customer loyalty.
question: Do you feel holidays 2025 are the same as holidays 2024 in USA?
I see a retailer like Michaels having opportunity (picking up on competitive store closures) to be a glue… pun intended… to family activities.
But USA retailers thinking in lock step with USA government- that nothing’s wrong/ economics are not daily stress?
Where does customer loyalty go (if it truly exists), when consumer feel financially bleak? are rewards points enough? How stressed to people want to be in January?