Consumers are ready to celebrate this year. They want to shop and travel and make merry after more than a year of various forms of pandemic-related abstinence. They’re still wary about public-health considerations in the wake of the variants. But for many, the vaccine has offered more freedom to participate in the activities they associate with the most wonderful time of the year.

In fact, overall trendlines are up this holiday, with only a small percentage of consumers — less than 20% — telling us the pandemic could significantly dampen holiday spending. To find out more about consumer expectations and intentions for the season, we asked 1,000+ consumers where and when they will shop and travel — as well as what drives their purchasing decisions.

2021 Key themes:

  1. Y ou get a gift, and you get a gift . . . and I get a gift too
  2. Spendy millennials power the uptick
  3. Uneven recovery widens holiday budget gap
  4. Fewer, more local stores
  5. Curbside pickup is here to stay
  6. Trust takes center stage
  7. What does your brand stand for?
  8. On the road again

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