Bank of America Study: Early December Could Overtake Black Friday as the Peak Holiday Shopping Window This Year

29% of Americans say they plan to do most of their shopping in early to mid-December this holiday season, compared with 17% on Black Friday

Key points

• Bank of America's Holiday Spending Survey finds early to mid-December may surpass Black Friday as the most popular time for holiday shopping.
• Through a nationally representative survey of 2,000+ U.S. adults, 87% expect their holiday spending to hold steady or decline this year, while just 12% say they plan to spend more.
• Fewer consumers say they play to use AI or social media platforms for their holiday shopping needs this year.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 29, 2026 — Black Friday traditionally marks the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season, however this year consumers are planning to make their biggest holiday shopping push a little later. According to the Bank of America 2026 Holiday Spending Survey, 29% of consumers plan to do most of their holiday shopping in early to mid-December, up from 19% in 2025. Meanwhile, those planning to concentrate most of their shopping around Black Friday fell from 25% to 17%.