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New Q3 2026 survey finds consumers are cutting holiday spending, seeking discounts, and using social media throughout the shopping journey
Holiday shoppers are planning to spend more cautiously this year and increasingly turning to social media to discover products, find deals, and interact with brands, according to new research from Sprout Social.
The company’s Q3 2026 Pulse Survey found that 56% of consumers plan to reduce holiday spending because of broader economic conditions, while 69% are concerned about tariff-related price increases. Another 36% said they plan to begin holiday shopping earlier specifically to avoid potential price increases.
Social Media Becomes a Key Shopping Destination
Social media is playing a growing role in product discovery and purchasing decisions. The survey found that social media ties physical stores as the leading destination for gift discovery among consumers overall, with 46% citing each.
The channel is particularly influential among Gen Z, with 54% identifying social media as their leading source for discovering products. In addition, 57% of consumers said they are open to purchasing products directly through social platforms.
Useful Content Outperforms Traditional Ads
The research suggests consumers are responding more strongly to practical shopping information than to conventional promotional messaging.
Promo codes shared by brands or influencers were identified as the leading driver of holiday purchases, followed by social posts demonstrating products in use. Targeted social media advertising ranked as the least effective of the purchase drivers measured in the survey.
Scott Morris, CMO at Sprout Social, said the economic environment is making consumers more deliberate about purchases and increasing the importance of useful, relevant brand communication.
Social Media Extends Into Customer Service
Consumers are also using social platforms after discovering or purchasing products. TikTok was cited by 50% of respondents as a destination for customer service, followed by Facebook at 46% and Instagram at 44%.
Direct messages were the preferred way to contact a brand for 55% of respondents. The survey also found that 70% of consumers are comfortable with brands using AI-powered tools to provide faster customer service responses.
Social Media and the 2026 Election Cycle
The Q3 survey also examined how consumers use social media for political information ahead of the 2026 U.S. midterm elections.
Social media was identified as the leading news source among Millennials, cited by 38%, and Gen Z, cited by 33%. Meanwhile, 45% of social media users said they do not follow any politicians on social platforms, while 26% said they follow one or two.
The survey also found that 55% of consumers said a social media post from a politician had informed or changed their opinion, while 84% of voters expressed concern about encountering AI-generated deepfakes during the election cycle.
Survey Methodology
The Q3 2026 Pulse Survey was conducted by market research firm Glimpse on behalf of Sprout Social. It surveyed 2,286 social media users across the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia between August 11 and August 18, 2026.
