Retail sentiment looks steady heading into the 2026 holidays. Most recent purchases landed well, most shoppers say they’d buy again, and the toplines would pass any board review. Then you look at how many of those same shoppers quietly moved their money to a retailer they’d never used before.
According to Alchemer’s 2026 Holiday Shopper Report, 80.6% of shoppers rate their most recent purchase experience as positive. Over the same 12 months, 40.1% started shopping somewhere brand new. Satisfaction and loyalty are not the same number, and this year the gap between them is wide enough to see.
TL;DR — key takeaways
- 80.6% of shoppers rate their most recent purchase experience as positive, with 51.5% calling it very positive, according to Alchemer’s 2026 Holiday Shopper Report.
- 78.4% say they’re likely to buy from that retailer again, but only 42.3% are very likely.
- 40.1% started shopping with a brand-new retailer in the past 12 months.
- 38.2% say a tighter budget will shape their holiday spending most, and 27% point to rising prices.
- 37% expect to spend more this holiday than last. The money is there. Holding onto it is the hard part.
How satisfied are shoppers with their recent purchases?
Very. According to Alchemer’s 2026 Holiday Shopper Report, 80.6% of shoppers describe their most recent purchase experience as positive, and 51.5% call it very positive. Here’s the full headline picture:
| Headline metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Overall experience, most recent purchase | 80.6% positive (51.5% very positive) |
| Likely to buy from that retailer again | 78.4% likely (42.3% very likely) |
| Started shopping somewhere brand new (past 12 months) | 40.1% |
| Expect to spend more this holiday than last | 37.0% (14.7% much more) |
| Say a tighter budget will shape holiday spending most | 38.2% |
| Say rising prices will shape holiday spending most | 27.0% |
Read the first two rows alone and the season looks locked in. Read the third and it stops looking that way.
If shoppers are happy, why is retail churn so high?
Because a positive experience has become the floor rather than the differentiator. Four in 10 shoppers tried a new retailer this year while satisfaction held steady, which tells you those switches weren’t driven by outrage. They were driven by a better price, a faster checkout or a product that was actually in stock.
The intensity gap says the same thing. 78.4% of shoppers are likely to buy from their last retailer again, but only 42.3% are very likely. That 36-point spread separates the shopper who’d come back if nothing better shows up from the one who isn’t looking. In a value-first year, the first group is one competitor promotion away from gone.
Where will shoppers actually spend this holiday season?
Mostly in physical stores and on retailer-owned websites. Per Alchemer’s 2026 Holiday Shopper Report:
| Where shoppers expect to do most holiday shopping | % of shoppers |
|---|---|
| Physical stores | 35.8% |
| Online, retailer site or app | 31.1% |
| An even mix of online and in-store | 19.2% |
| Marketplaces (Amazon, Walmart and similar) | 6.9% |
| Social media or creators | 1.5% |
| AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and similar) | 0.3% |
Two-thirds of holiday spending is heading to owned channels, which is good news: those are the moments retailers control. It also means the friction shoppers hit is friction you can fix.
Satisfaction isn’t a finish line. Alchemer helps retailers collect feedback across every channel, route it to the team that can act, and close the loop back to the shopper. Explore Alchemer for Retail →
What keeps a tight-budget shopper loyal?
The basics, delivered consistently. Shoppers aren’t asking for a reinvented experience. They want the product in stock, an honest price, a checkout that doesn’t take 20 minutes and a real fix when something goes wrong. With 38.2% naming a tighter budget as the biggest influence on their holiday spending and another 27% pointing to rising prices, patience is the scarcest thing in the store.
That’s the opportunity. The retailers who come out ahead this season won’t be the ones who never slip. They’ll be the ones who hear about the slip early enough to fix it before a shopper joins the 40.1%.
Want the full report? Read the complete 2026 Holiday Shopper Report for the seven priorities shaping the season, plus full breakdowns on frustrations, pricing behavior, service recovery, AI and reviews.
Methodology: Alchemer’s Research Solutions team surveyed 1,002 U.S. shoppers across age groups, genders and shopping channels about their retail experiences, research habits and 2026 holiday shopping plans.
FAQ
Q: How satisfied are retail shoppers in 2026?
A: 80.6% of shoppers rate their most recent purchase experience as positive, with 51.5% calling it very positive, according to Alchemer’s 2026 Holiday Shopper Report.
Q: How many shoppers switched retailers this year?
A: 40.1% of shoppers started shopping somewhere brand new in the past 12 months, even as satisfaction stayed high.
Q: Where will shoppers do most of their holiday shopping in 2026?
A: Physical stores lead at 35.8%, followed by retailer sites and apps at 31.1%. Marketplaces account for 6.9% and AI tools for 0.3%, per Alchemer’s 2026 data.
Q: What will influence holiday spending most this year?
A: Budget pressure. 38.2% of shoppers say a tighter budget will shape their holiday spending most, and 27% cite concern about rising prices.