Consumer sentiment heading into the holidays is low, but that could mislead marketers

We’re on the cusp of the holiday season, when marketers look to turn brand awareness and share of voice into greenbacks.

And in a year when many businesses are dealing with thinner margins as a consequence of President Donald Trump’s tariff program, the October to December window is even more important than usual.

Yet consumer confidence doesn’t look promising. In August, the University of Michigan’s regular sentiment tracker placed U.S. consumer confidence 10% lower than the same time last year, while 43% of American households say their finances aren’t keeping up with inflation (2.9% at the time of writing), according to TransUnion survey data. One-quarter of consumers cite managing their budget as the biggest stressor during holiday season, per a Dentsu survey released in August. And 62% of consumers expect to still be finalizing their shopping decisions deep into December, per a study published today by Experian and retail data firm GroundTruth.

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