Burlington, N.J. – October 12, 2026 -- Eighty percent of U.S. adults expect to spend the same amount or more on holiday shopping this year than last, even as 58% of those respondents worry about exceeding their budgets, according to a Wakefield Research survey commissioned by off-price retailer Burlington Stores.
Budget anxiety peaks among parents and Gen Z parents
Concern about overspending rises to 69% among parents and 77% among Gen Z parents. The Gen Z parent subgroup totals 100 respondents, with a margin of error of plus or minus 9.8 percentage points.
Burlington says shoppers plan to stretch budgets through "dupe" products and in-person shopping.
Deal hunting turns a smaller budget into motivation for 58% of Americans
For 58% of respondents, shopping on a smaller holiday budget is exciting because of the hunt for the best deals. Another 87% say getting a great deal is more satisfying than owning a luxury item.
Chris Miller, Burlington's executive vice president and chief marketing officer, said shoppers are strategically searching for ways to save, and credited the chain's reimagined store design and steady rotation of fresh merchandise.
Holiday buying starts early, with 86% planning to begin before December 1
Thirty-seven percent plan to start holiday shopping before Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Burlington describes the pattern as a "slow-and-steady" approach to finding the right gift at the right price.
Try-on and discovery drive 70% of in-store preference
The ability to interact with and try on items is the leading reason for shopping in person, cited by 70% of respondents. The other drivers:
- Discovering unexpected finds: 55%
- Getting out of the house: 54%
- Scoring a great deal: 50%
- Taking purchases home immediately: 50%
Burlington is pitching merchandise at up to 60% off other retailers' prices, with new stock arriving weekly. New locations in the continental U.S. and Puerto Rico use a modernized format with wider aisles and bilingual signage.
Survey covers 2,000 adults with a 2.2-point margin of error
Wakefield Research polled 2,000 nationally representative U.S. adults aged 18 and older between July 24 and August 5, 2026, using an online survey. The main-sample margin of error is plus or minus 2.2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, and the data was weighted to reflect the U.S. adult population.