A new report published today by SuperAwesome forecasts that parents will spend an average of US$548 on holiday gifts for their kids and teens this year, which is up significantly (16%) from 2024. 

The youth data and technology firm surveyed more than 2,100 families across the US, the UK, Germany and France in June to build its annual Holidays Unwrapped 2025 report identifying key shopping behaviors that brand owners can leverage to get their products on the ever-important Christmas season shopping list. 

In SuperAwesome’s analysis, parents had a pretty good idea about what kids want this year, with seven of the top 10 brands on kids’ wishlists matching their parents’ shopping lists. LEGO, PlayStation, Barbie, Minecraft, Pokémon, Nintendo and Roblox are expected to be the standout brands this year, with kids between the ages of seven and 15 listing video games as their top gift category. 

Christmas shopping is also poised to begin earlier in all markets, with 49% of US parents saying they plan to start by October, and half of all UK parents by November. When they’re buying gifts this year, parents are planning to be more strategic by waiting patiently for the right timing (87%), searching for products with good reviews (87%) and making sure pricing is affordable (86%).

A separate study published by North Carolina-based data firm Inmar Intelligence this week has noted that US holiday shoppers will be much more discretionary spenders this year as 50% of those surveyed say they are still experiencing economic difficulties from the previous year. However, 82% don’t intend to spend less—instead they’re going to pull back on essentials and groceries to make more room in the budget for holiday expenses. 

To play into this dynamic, Inmar recommends that brand owners use a variety of savings incentives because cash-back promotions, coupons and rollback sales have collectively become the top purchase influencer in the US market at 55%. Ranking far lower are convenience (43%), product reviews (35%), loyalty rewards (32%) and easy return options (29%).