January 9, 2026
AndrewDemenyuk/Depositphotos.com
Is Gen Z’s Appetite for Shopping Real as 2026 Begins?
According to a concise breakdown of Lightspeed Commerce survey data presented by Chain Store Age’s Zachary Russell, Gen Z shoppers in North America remain unfazed by macroeconomic turbulence, a spendy 2025 holiday season, and a challenging job market: They’re reading to spend this January and February, leading a pack of other motivated consumers in the same vein.
First, there appears to be a stark divide between the shopping intentions put forth by younger shoppers and those more mature in age. Almost half (49%) of consumers aged 18-24 indicated that they were definitely increasing their shopping in the first two months of 2026, saying they were more likely to shop now than previously. Just 11% of respondents aged 55-plus indicated the same.
As a whole, an overwhelming majority (94%) of the youngest age bracket polled stated intent to either maintain their shopping schedule, or increase it, this January and February. Nearly three-quarters (or 70%) of the 55-plus demographic said as much.
Gen Z Leading the Way in Post-Holiday Shopping Intent, Data Suggests
On the top-level results, as Russell wrote: “Nearly three-quarters (74%) of consumers say they are just as likely or more likely to shop compared with other times of year, according to a new survey from Lightspeed Commerce. Half (51%) of those surveyed say their shopping behavior stays about the same, while 23% say they are more likely to shop during the beginning of the year. “
Regarding the opposing side, just over a quarter (26%) stated that they’re less likely to shop during the first two months of this year, with a mere 7% declaring that they are far less likely to continue the same spending patterns they had previously.
Other notable findings within the Lightspeed data included:
- Gen Z consumers told interviewers that a “reset mentality” was the driving force behind this January-February spending. Not quite two-thirds (61%) of those polled said they’d be zeroed in on fitness, wellness, and health category purchases. This figure is more than double that of the general survey population who said the same (28%). Second the podium with younger shoppers? A fashion update, with clothes and wardrobe purchase being top of mind for 52% of those aged 18-24.
- The demise of the New Year’s resolution may have been premature, at least among zoomers: About half (48%) of younger consumers admitted to having made a New Year’s resolution around shopping. About 44% made one pertaining to their spending (more specifically, that it would be conducted with greater intention), while just over one-third (38%) suggested that spending around tangential resolutions was in order. Health and fitness, education and learning, or starting a new hobby were the top picks on the latter score.
BrainTrust
Anil Patel
Founder & CEO, HotWax Commerce
Gary Sankary
Retail Industry Strategy, Esri
Scott Benedict
Founder & CEO, Benedict Enterprises LLC
Recent Discussions
Discussion Questions
Do you believe the data on Gen Z’s stated appetite for post-holiday shopping? How about their stated category preferences?
On a broader level, the survey results suggest that North American consumers remain unfazed after a record-setting holiday spend. How accurate do you believe this is?
What can we discern from the relatively low percentage of respondents looking to curtail their shopping after a potential holiday wallet hangover? Is this good news?
Poll
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I think the survey data on Gen Z’s stated appetite for post-holiday shopping and their category preferences should be taken with a healthy dose of context. Gen Z has consistently shown a willingness to engage with brands and shop in ways that don’t always follow traditional cycles, so it’s plausible they’d express strong post-holiday intent — especially in categories like experiences, fashion, and tech — that resonate with their social and identity drivers. But stated intent is not always correlated with actual spend, particularly when inflationary pressure, price sensitivity, and shifting value perceptions come into play. Consumer sentiment surveys often capture optimism at a point in time, but translating that into sustained purchase behavior over the coming months is less certain.
On the broader question of whether North American consumers are truly “unfazed” after a record-setting holiday season, I’d urge caution rather than celebration. While the latest data suggests consumers didn’t pull back in a dramatic way immediately after the holidays, we don’t yet have the full suite of quantitative and qualitative indicators — from early 2026 sales trends, basket sizes, return patterns, and credit card spending behavior to nuanced sentiment shifts once discretionary dollars are stretched further — to declare a stable footing. A strong holiday doesn’t guarantee a strong year, especially amid ongoing macro uncertainties such as tariff policy, labor dynamics, and broader cost pressures that could influence spending behavior later in the year.
The relatively low percentage of respondents saying they plan to curtail their shopping after the holidays is tentatively good news, but it’s too early to call it a definitive signal of sustained consumer resilience. What it may really reflect is short-term optimism or relief after a season in which shoppers anticipated tighter budgets and then spent more than expected. The real test will come as 2026 unfolds — how much of that intent converts into real purchasing, how consumers balance needs versus wants in light of evolving economic signals, and whether early-year trends uphold or contradict the sentiment captured in the survey. In short, the panels tell an interesting story, but we need to watch actual behavior over time before concluding that consumers have wholly shrugged off the post-holiday wallet hangover.
always the good question: “how much of that intent converts into real purchasing”,,, esp when judging consumer economy via a fickle cohort. (one that might have the lesser financial obligations of older adults).
What’s notable in this data is not just that Gen Z plans to keep spending, but where that spend is being directed compared to other cohorts. The categories they prioritize point to a fundamentally different relationship with consumption.
Wellness, self-improvement and wardrobe updates function less as discretionary purchases for Gen Z and more as forms of personal maintenance and expression. In a volatile economic and job environment, these categories offer a sense of control and immediate payoff, which helps explain why spending intent holds even when broader confidence is soft.
Customers with longer-established spending patterns tend to pull back broadly when uncertainty rises. Gen Z appears to narrow, not retreat, reducing spend in categories that feel deferrable while maintaining it in areas tied closely to daily utility and self-presentation.
If this pattern holds, the implication for retailers is that demand is not weakening uniformly. It is becoming more selective and psychologically anchored. Gen Z will show up early in the year, but only for categories that feel essential to how they navigate uncertainty.
Months ahead will be a sign too… if Z’ers jump back into Festival/pre summer mood. Or, if event ticket prices have gone high enough, the category selectivity continues.
I’m not sure spending on health and fitness in January and February is limited to Gen Z, that’s been a trend for decades. See the Target/Walmart promotions for exercise gear every year. But given the contradictory messages, this report is difficult to draw conclusions from. This is a thought until actual transaction data proves it.
My thought is Gen Z probably didn’t max out their credit cards during the holidays, buying gifts for family and holiday groceries to host gatherings like older generations. Good news for retailers, I think, kinda, maybe… I’d call it an indicator, not a trend I would change my buying plans for. Yet.
Today’s discussion reminded me of a recent article in the WSJ. It reported on young people starting to smoke cigarettes, a reversal in the trend for the cohort. While there were several social reasons suggested, it was also surmised, “More young people are embracing old-fashioned smoking—maybe because they consider it the least hazardous thing happening in their lives at the moment.”
Is today’s pressure on young people so much that the health warnings of cigarette smoking are irrelevant? Are today’s pressures on young people so great that there is no future? So, “Let’s shop!”
…Where psychographics are more important than Gen/biological age.
Personal motivation, group think, and social image.
I really hope not on that smoking front. Besides cancer & disease hobbling their lives… the ability to breathe is highly needed for that purported “Health & Wellness” desire.
Never fails: youth believe in their own indestructibly, at least for a time.
What could be needed: more organized sports and more close relationships with elders. Spending time knowing their grandparents who smoked could be an eye opener.
Not having a regular Dr to be accountable to could be a consideration. (Done with pediatrician, but not yet taking adult responsibility for the 1 body they have for life).
It’s hard to read enough into this to arrive at a fully definitive direction for retail going forward or meaningful economic views for Gen Z’ers. It looks like a simple snapshot in time (January-Feb) where we let 2026 play out further to understand what to act on.
For now, it appears the immediate interest in health and resets early in the year is the positive momentum every generation hopes to make.
No cohort curtails spending completely during January and February. Admittedly there is a bit more caution over spending as holiday bills come in. And most cohorts focus on wellness and fitness in the early part of the year. I don’t see anything exceptional about Gen Z’s behavior here.
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I think the survey data on Gen Z’s stated appetite for post-holiday shopping and their category preferences should be taken with a healthy dose of context. Gen Z has consistently shown a willingness to engage with brands and shop in ways that don’t always follow traditional cycles, so it’s plausible they’d express strong post-holiday intent — especially in categories like experiences, fashion, and tech — that resonate with their social and identity drivers. But stated intent is not always correlated with actual spend, particularly when inflationary pressure, price sensitivity, and shifting value perceptions come into play. Consumer sentiment surveys often capture optimism at a point in time, but translating that into sustained purchase behavior over the coming months is less certain.
On the broader question of whether North American consumers are truly “unfazed” after a record-setting holiday season, I’d urge caution rather than celebration. While the latest data suggests consumers didn’t pull back in a dramatic way immediately after the holidays, we don’t yet have the full suite of quantitative and qualitative indicators — from early 2026 sales trends, basket sizes, return patterns, and credit card spending behavior to nuanced sentiment shifts once discretionary dollars are stretched further — to declare a stable footing. A strong holiday doesn’t guarantee a strong year, especially amid ongoing macro uncertainties such as tariff policy, labor dynamics, and broader cost pressures that could influence spending behavior later in the year.
The relatively low percentage of respondents saying they plan to curtail their shopping after the holidays is tentatively good news, but it’s too early to call it a definitive signal of sustained consumer resilience. What it may really reflect is short-term optimism or relief after a season in which shoppers anticipated tighter budgets and then spent more than expected. The real test will come as 2026 unfolds — how much of that intent converts into real purchasing, how consumers balance needs versus wants in light of evolving economic signals, and whether early-year trends uphold or contradict the sentiment captured in the survey. In short, the panels tell an interesting story, but we need to watch actual behavior over time before concluding that consumers have wholly shrugged off the post-holiday wallet hangover.
always the good question: “how much of that intent converts into real purchasing”,,, esp when judging consumer economy via a fickle cohort. (one that might have the lesser financial obligations of older adults).
What’s notable in this data is not just that Gen Z plans to keep spending, but where that spend is being directed compared to other cohorts. The categories they prioritize point to a fundamentally different relationship with consumption.
Wellness, self-improvement and wardrobe updates function less as discretionary purchases for Gen Z and more as forms of personal maintenance and expression. In a volatile economic and job environment, these categories offer a sense of control and immediate payoff, which helps explain why spending intent holds even when broader confidence is soft.
Customers with longer-established spending patterns tend to pull back broadly when uncertainty rises. Gen Z appears to narrow, not retreat, reducing spend in categories that feel deferrable while maintaining it in areas tied closely to daily utility and self-presentation.
If this pattern holds, the implication for retailers is that demand is not weakening uniformly. It is becoming more selective and psychologically anchored. Gen Z will show up early in the year, but only for categories that feel essential to how they navigate uncertainty.
Months ahead will be a sign too… if Z’ers jump back into Festival/pre summer mood. Or, if event ticket prices have gone high enough, the category selectivity continues.
I’m not sure spending on health and fitness in January and February is limited to Gen Z, that’s been a trend for decades. See the Target/Walmart promotions for exercise gear every year. But given the contradictory messages, this report is difficult to draw conclusions from. This is a thought until actual transaction data proves it.
My thought is Gen Z probably didn’t max out their credit cards during the holidays, buying gifts for family and holiday groceries to host gatherings like older generations. Good news for retailers, I think, kinda, maybe… I’d call it an indicator, not a trend I would change my buying plans for. Yet.
Today’s discussion reminded me of a recent article in the WSJ. It reported on young people starting to smoke cigarettes, a reversal in the trend for the cohort. While there were several social reasons suggested, it was also surmised, “More young people are embracing old-fashioned smoking—maybe because they consider it the least hazardous thing happening in their lives at the moment.”
Is today’s pressure on young people so much that the health warnings of cigarette smoking are irrelevant? Are today’s pressures on young people so great that there is no future? So, “Let’s shop!”
…Where psychographics are more important than Gen/biological age.
Personal motivation, group think, and social image.
I really hope not on that smoking front. Besides cancer & disease hobbling their lives… the ability to breathe is highly needed for that purported “Health & Wellness” desire.
Never fails: youth believe in their own indestructibly, at least for a time.
What could be needed: more organized sports and more close relationships with elders. Spending time knowing their grandparents who smoked could be an eye opener.
Not having a regular Dr to be accountable to could be a consideration. (Done with pediatrician, but not yet taking adult responsibility for the 1 body they have for life).
It’s hard to read enough into this to arrive at a fully definitive direction for retail going forward or meaningful economic views for Gen Z’ers. It looks like a simple snapshot in time (January-Feb) where we let 2026 play out further to understand what to act on.
For now, it appears the immediate interest in health and resets early in the year is the positive momentum every generation hopes to make.
No cohort curtails spending completely during January and February. Admittedly there is a bit more caution over spending as holiday bills come in. And most cohorts focus on wellness and fitness in the early part of the year. I don’t see anything exceptional about Gen Z’s behavior here.