About This Survey
The Holiday Gift-Giving Survey examines what makes winter-holiday gift shopping hard. It examines which part of shopping people find most challenging, how easy or difficult they think they are to buy for, who they find hardest to shop for, and where holiday gift baskets fit in as a solution.
The survey included 1,037 U.S. adults. Each respondent answered questions about holiday gift shopping, then about when they would buy a holiday gift basket, who a gift basket is best suited for, and what matters most when choosing one.
The survey was fielded September 29 to October 7, 2026. All 1,037 responses included in the final analysis passed an attention check.
Each table shows the overall result plus six segments: four generations (Gen Z, 29 and under; Millennials, 30 to 44; Gen X, 45 to 60; and Boomers, 61 or older) and gender. The n row under each header gives the base for each column. Gen Z includes 133 respondents, so treat single-cell differences for that group with some caution. Six respondents who identified as nonbinary, self-described, or preferred not to say appear in the Overall and generation columns only.
Rows labeled NET combine two or more answer options and are shown in bold. Later sections break the key measures out by household income, by whether children under 18 live in the household, and by how respondents rated their own difficulty.
The Most Challenging Part Of Holiday Gift Shopping
Question as fielded: Which part of holiday gift shopping do you find most challenging?
Staying within budget was the single most common answer (25.2%), but the recipient was the bigger problem overall: 51.8% chose a recipient-related challenge (knowing what the recipient would like, shopping for someone difficult, or finding something personal), compared with 14.9% who chose a logistics challenge. Boomers were the most likely to say the hard part is knowing what the recipient would genuinely like (30.9%).
| Most challenging part |
Overall |
Gen Z |
Millennials |
Gen X |
Boomers |
Women |
Men |
| Sample size (n) |
1,037 |
133 |
292 |
275 |
337 |
560 |
471 |
| NET: recipient-related challenge |
51.8% |
48.9% |
45.2% |
52.0% |
58.5% |
52.7% |
50.7% |
| NET: logistics challenge |
14.9% |
18.8% |
23.3% |
15.3% |
5.6% |
11.6% |
18.9% |
| Staying within my budget |
25.2% |
27.8% |
26.7% |
26.2% |
22.0% |
27.3% |
22.3% |
| Knowing what the recipient would genuinely like |
22.9% |
16.5% |
17.8% |
21.5% |
30.9% |
23.6% |
21.9% |
| Shopping for someone who is difficult to buy for |
15.2% |
11.3% |
14.4% |
14.5% |
18.1% |
17.3% |
13.0% |
| Finding a gift that feels personal |
13.7% |
21.1% |
13.0% |
16.0% |
9.5% |
11.8% |
15.9% |
| I do not find holiday gift shopping challenging |
8.2% |
4.5% |
4.8% |
6.5% |
13.9% |
8.4% |
8.1% |
| Making sure the gift arrives on time |
5.6% |
6.8% |
10.3% |
4.7% |
1.8% |
3.9% |
7.6% |
| Finding time to shop |
5.1% |
4.5% |
8.6% |
6.5% |
1.2% |
4.3% |
6.2% |
| Choosing a gift for someone who lives far away |
4.1% |
7.5% |
4.5% |
4.0% |
2.7% |
3.4% |
5.1% |
Source notes: Percent of all respondents in each segment. Single response. NET: recipient-related combines “knowing what the recipient would genuinely like,” “shopping for someone who is difficult to buy for,” and “finding a gift that feels personal.” NET: logistics combines “finding time to shop,” “making sure the gift arrives on time,” and “choosing a gift for someone who lives far away.”
How Easy Or Difficult People Think They Are To Buy For
Question as fielded: During the holiday season, how easy or difficult do you think you are to buy a gift for?
Most respondents consider themselves easy to buy for (61.6%), and only 17.6% consider themselves difficult. Just 3.7% said, "very difficult." Boomers were the least likely to describe themselves as easy (53.1%) and the most likely to describe themselves as difficult (22.6%).
| Self-rating |
Overall |
Gen Z |
Millennials |
Gen X |
Boomers |
Women |
Men |
| Sample size (n) |
1,037 |
133 |
292 |
275 |
337 |
560 |
471 |
| NET: easy |
61.6% |
66.2% |
66.4% |
64.7% |
53.1% |
61.3% |
61.8% |
| NET: difficult |
17.6% |
15.0% |
15.8% |
14.5% |
22.6% |
17.5% |
17.8% |
| Very easy to buy a gift for |
27.4% |
28.6% |
31.5% |
28.0% |
22.8% |
26.8% |
28.2% |
| Somewhat easy to buy a gift for |
34.2% |
37.6% |
34.9% |
36.7% |
30.3% |
34.5% |
33.5% |
| Neither easy nor difficult to buy a gift for |
20.8% |
18.8% |
17.8% |
20.7% |
24.3% |
21.2% |
20.4% |
| Somewhat difficult to buy a gift for |
13.9% |
12.8% |
13.0% |
12.0% |
16.6% |
13.0% |
15.1% |
| Very difficult to buy a gift for |
3.7% |
2.3% |
2.7% |
2.5% |
5.9% |
4.5% |
2.8% |
Source notes: Percent of all respondents in each segment. Single response. NET: easy combines “very easy” and “somewhat easy.” NET: difficult combines “somewhat difficult” and “very difficult.”
Who Is Hardest To Buy For
Question as fielded: Which people are most difficult for you to buy winter-holiday gifts for? Choose up to three.
While most people say they're easy to buy for, 87.8% named at least one person they find difficult, and 34.6% chose all three. "Someone who already seems to have everything" topped the list (28.7%), followed by children or teenagers (24.6%) and a spouse or romantic partner (23.4%).
| Hardest to buy for |
Overall |
Gen Z |
Millennials |
Gen X |
Boomers |
Women |
Men |
| Sample size (n) |
1,037 |
133 |
292 |
275 |
337 |
560 |
471 |
| NET: named at least one difficult person |
87.8% |
91.7% |
91.1% |
89.8% |
81.9% |
85.5% |
90.4% |
| NET: named three difficult people |
34.6% |
39.1% |
44.2% |
35.6% |
23.7% |
32.9% |
37.2% |
| Someone who already seems to have everything |
28.7% |
20.3% |
27.4% |
26.5% |
35.0% |
33.8% |
22.3% |
| Children or teenagers |
24.6% |
15.0% |
24.7% |
30.5% |
23.4% |
27.7% |
21.2% |
| A spouse or romantic partner |
23.4% |
18.8% |
26.7% |
25.8% |
20.5% |
21.4% |
26.1% |
| Parents or grandparents |
19.4% |
33.1% |
30.1% |
18.2% |
5.6% |
17.0% |
22.3% |
| Friends |
18.2% |
30.8% |
20.9% |
16.7% |
12.2% |
12.3% |
25.5% |
| Other relatives |
16.6% |
17.3% |
15.4% |
17.8% |
16.3% |
17.5% |
15.3% |
| Someone I do not know very well |
16.0% |
18.0% |
18.8% |
12.4% |
15.7% |
15.2% |
16.8% |
| I do not find anyone especially difficult to buy for |
12.2% |
8.3% |
8.9% |
10.2% |
18.1% |
14.5% |
9.6% |
| Coworkers |
10.0% |
16.5% |
11.3% |
11.3% |
5.3% |
8.6% |
11.9% |
| Neighbors |
7.7% |
12.0% |
8.6% |
8.0% |
5.0% |
5.9% |
10.0% |
| A boss, client, or business contact |
7.2% |
10.5% |
8.9% |
7.3% |
4.5% |
6.1% |
8.7% |
| Teachers or childcare providers |
3.9% |
6.0% |
5.1% |
3.6% |
2.1% |
3.4% |
4.5% |
Source notes: Percent of all respondents in each segment. Multi-select, up to three; columns exceed 100%. NET rows count respondents who selected at least one (or all three) of the 11 person options, excluding “I do not find anyone especially difficult to buy for.”
Gift Baskets For Hard-To-Buy-For Recipients
Question as fielded: Have you ever bought or considered buying a holiday gift basket because the recipient was difficult to buy for?
70.5% have bought (40.6%) or considered buying (29.9%) a holiday gift basket specifically because the recipient was difficult to buy for.
| Bought or considered |
Overall |
Gen Z |
Millennials |
Gen X |
Boomers |
Women |
Men |
| Sample size (n) |
1,037 |
133 |
292 |
275 |
337 |
560 |
471 |
| NET: bought or considered |
70.5% |
76.7% |
76.7% |
72.7% |
60.8% |
70.0% |
71.1% |
| Yes, I have bought a holiday gift basket for that reason |
40.6% |
48.9% |
42.8% |
44.7% |
32.0% |
37.7% |
44.2% |
| Yes, I have considered buying one for that reason |
29.9% |
27.8% |
33.9% |
28.0% |
28.8% |
32.3% |
27.0% |
| No |
29.5% |
23.3% |
23.3% |
27.3% |
39.2% |
30.0% |
28.9% |
Source notes: Percent of all respondents in each segment. Single response. NET: bought or considered combines the two “yes” options.
When People Would Buy A Gift Basket
Question as fielded: In which situations would you be most likely to buy a holiday gift basket? Select all that apply.
Wanting a gift that feels more special than a gift card (33.3%) and sending one gift to a whole household (32.8%) led, with a difficult-to-buy-for recipient close behind (29.2%). Only 9.5% said they were unlikely to buy a gift basket.
| Situation |
Overall |
Gen Z |
Millennials |
Gen X |
Boomers |
Women |
Men |
| n |
1,037 |
133 |
292 |
275 |
337 |
560 |
471 |
| NET: at least one situation |
90.5% |
90.2% |
93.5% |
92.0% |
86.6% |
91.2% |
89.4% |
| I want a gift that feels more special than a gift card |
33.3% |
30.1% |
31.5% |
37.5% |
32.6% |
35.9% |
30.4% |
| I want to send one gift to a household or family |
32.8% |
25.6% |
27.4% |
30.9% |
41.8% |
36.2% |
28.7% |
| The recipient is difficult to buy for |
29.2% |
21.1% |
25.7% |
34.9% |
30.9% |
32.7% |
25.3% |
| I want to give a gift that can be shared |
26.0% |
24.8% |
27.1% |
26.2% |
25.5% |
26.2% |
25.7% |
| I want to thank a host, teacher, colleague, client, or service provider |
25.3% |
38.3% |
27.7% |
24.7% |
18.4% |
25.4% |
25.3% |
| I need a gift quickly or am shopping at the last minute |
24.8% |
30.1% |
33.2% |
25.5% |
14.8% |
26.4% |
22.7% |
| The recipient lives far away |
19.5% |
20.3% |
17.1% |
21.8% |
19.3% |
20.4% |
18.3% |
| I do not know the recipient well |
19.0% |
16.5% |
21.6% |
22.2% |
15.1% |
20.5% |
17.2% |
| I would not be likely to buy a holiday gift basket |
9.5% |
9.8% |
6.5% |
8.0% |
13.4% |
8.8% |
10.6% |
Percent of all respondents in each segment. Multi-select; columns exceed 100%. NET row counts respondents who selected at least one of the eight situations, excluding "I would not be likely to buy a holiday gift basket."
Who A Gift Basket Is Best Suited For
Question as fielded: Who is a holiday gift basket best suited for? Select all that apply."Someone who is difficult to buy for" was the most common answer (37.8%), followed by someone who is sick, grieving, or going through a difficult time (34.1%). Friends, neighbors, and hosts of holiday gatherings each drew about a third. A spouse or romantic partner ranked last among the named recipients (12.2%). Women were far more likely than men to see baskets as suited to someone difficult to buy for (43.4% vs. 31.4%) and to someone sick or grieving (43.2% vs. 23.4%).
| Best suited for |
Overall |
Gen Z |
Millennials |
Gen X |
Boomers |
Women |
Men |
| n |
1,037 |
133 |
292 |
275 |
337 |
560 |
471 |
| NET: at least one recipient |
91.3% |
90.2% |
92.8% |
93.1% |
89.0% |
91.4% |
91.1% |
| Someone who is difficult to buy for |
37.8% |
28.6% |
30.8% |
42.5% |
43.6% |
43.4% |
31.4% |
| Someone who is sick, grieving, or going through a difficult time |
34.1% |
24.1% |
28.8% |
34.2% |
42.7% |
43.2% |
23.4% |
| Friends |
33.5% |
36.1% |
37.3% |
33.5% |
29.1% |
33.8% |
33.3% |
| Neighbors |
33.4% |
24.8% |
36.0% |
37.5% |
31.2% |
34.8% |
31.6% |
| Hosts of holiday gatherings |
33.1% |
23.3% |
28.1% |
38.9% |
36.5% |
39.5% |
25.5% |
| Teachers or childcare providers |
30.6% |
28.6% |
33.6% |
34.5% |
25.5% |
35.2% |
25.3% |
| A boss, client, or business contact |
30.6% |
27.8% |
31.5% |
33.8% |
28.2% |
34.8% |
25.5% |
| Coworkers |
28.2% |
28.6% |
33.6% |
34.2% |
18.4% |
27.9% |
28.5% |
| Parents or grandparents |
23.0% |
28.6% |
28.8% |
24.0% |
14.8% |
23.0% |
22.7% |
| Other relatives |
18.4% |
11.3% |
15.1% |
22.5% |
20.8% |
23.0% |
12.7% |
| A spouse or romantic partner |
12.2% |
23.3% |
13.4% |
13.5% |
5.6% |
10.7% |
14.0% |
| No one in particular |
8.7% |
9.8% |
7.2% |
6.9% |
11.0% |
8.6% |
8.9% |
Percent of all respondents in each segment. Multi-select; columns exceed 100%. NET row counts respondents who selected at least one of the 11 recipient options, excluding "no one in particular."
What Matters Most When Choosing A Gift Basket
Question as fielded: When choosing a holiday gift basket, which factor is most important to you? Select one.
Budget or value was the most common single factor (23.0%), but fit to the recipient mattered more in total: 34.5% chose either "matches the recipient's tastes" (17.6%) or "feels personalized to the recipient" (16.9%). High-quality or gourmet products (12.2%) and an attractive, festive look (10.9%) followed.
Results By Household Income
Question as fielded: Household income: What was your approximate total household income before taxes last year?
The table shows six key measures for each household income group. Budget drops sharply as a top challenge as income rises (35.0% under $25K vs. 11.4% at $150K+), while gift basket purchase for a hard-to-buy-for recipient rises with income, from 31.8% under $25K to 57.4% at $100K to $149.9K.
| Measure |
Under $25K |
$25K–$49.9K |
$50K–$74.9K |
$75K–$99.9K |
$100K–$149.9K |
$150K+ |
| n |
217 |
231 |
193 |
143 |
141 |
88 |
| Rates self difficult to buy for |
14.3% |
16.5% |
17.1% |
16.8% |
22.7% |
22.7% |
| Named at least one difficult person |
79.7% |
89.2% |
91.2% |
90.9% |
92.2% |
89.8% |
| Budget is the biggest challenge |
35.0% |
32.0% |
20.7% |
22.4% |
12.8% |
11.4% |
| Bought a basket for a hard-to-buy-for recipient |
31.8% |
35.1% |
37.8% |
48.3% |
57.4% |
52.3% |
| Bought or considered a basket for that reason |
58.1% |
68.8% |
73.6% |
76.9% |
84.4% |
70.5% |
| Says baskets suit someone difficult to buy for |
29.5% |
37.7% |
38.3% |
53.1% |
37.6% |
31.8% |
Percent of respondents in each income group. The $150K+ group combines households earning $150,000 to $199,999 (n=50), $200,000 to $249,999 (n=17), and $250,000 or more (n=21). 24 respondents preferred not to share income. "Rates self difficult" combines "somewhat" and "very difficult." "Named at least one difficult person" excludes "I do not find anyone especially difficult to buy for."
Results By Children In The Household
Question as fielded: Do any children under age 18 live in your household?
Respondents with children under 18 at home were more likely to name at least one difficult person (95.2% vs. 85.1%) and much more likely to have bought a gift basket for a hard-to-buy-for recipient (56.2% vs. 34.9%).
| Measure |
Children under 18 at home |
No children under 18 at home |
| n |
290 |
736 |
| Rates self difficult to buy for |
13.8% |
18.8% |
| Named at least one difficult person |
95.2% |
85.1% |
| Budget is the biggest challenge |
24.5% |
25.5% |
| Bought a basket for a hard-to-buy-for recipient |
56.2% |
34.9% |
| Bought or considered a basket for that reason |
84.8% |
64.7% |
| Says baskets suit someone difficult to buy for |
34.8% |
39.3% |
Percent of respondents in each group. Eleven respondents who preferred not to say are excluded from this table. Measures are defined as in the household income table.
Hardest To Buy For, By Children In The Household
Among respondents with children at home, their own children or teenagers were the hardest to buy for (37.9%), ahead of a spouse or partner (30.0%) and someone who has everything (29.0%). Those without children at home were far more likely to say no one is especially difficult (14.9% vs. 4.8%) and to name other relatives (20.4% vs. 7.2%).
| Hardest to buy for |
Children under 18 at home |
No children under 18 at home |
| n |
290 |
736 |
| Someone who already seems to have everything |
29.0% |
28.4% |
| Children or teenagers |
37.9% |
19.4% |
| A spouse or romantic partner |
30.0% |
21.1% |
| Parents or grandparents |
24.5% |
17.4% |
| Friends |
18.6% |
18.1% |
| Other relatives |
7.2% |
20.4% |
| Someone I do not know very well |
15.9% |
15.6% |
| I do not find anyone especially difficult to buy for |
4.8% |
14.9% |
| Coworkers |
14.5% |
8.3% |
| Neighbors |
8.3% |
7.3% |
| A boss, client, or business contact |
12.1% |
5.4% |
| Teachers or childcare providers |
7.9% |
2.2% |
Percent of respondents in each group. Multi-select, up to three; columns exceed 100%.
Who Took The Survey
Questions as fielded: What is your age? How do you describe your gender? What was your approximate total household income before taxes last year? Do any children under age 18 live in your household?
Age: Ages ranged from 18 to 100, with a median of 50. By generation: 12.8% were Gen Z (29 and under), 28.2% Millennials (30 to 44), 26.5% Gen X (45 to 60), and 32.5% Boomers (61 or older). All respondents provided a valid age.
Gender: 54.0% women, 45.4% men, 0.3% nonbinary, 0.2% preferred to self-describe, and 0.1% preferred not to say.
Household income: The largest groups were $25,000 to $49,999 (231 respondents) and under $25,000 (217), followed by $50,000 to $74,999 (193), $75,000 to $99,999 (143), and $100,000 to $149,999 (141). 24 preferred not to say.
Children in the household: 28.0% had at least one child under 18 living at home, 71.0% did not, and 1.1% preferred not to say.
Survey Methodology
Gourmet Gift Baskets commissioned this survey of U.S. adults about winter-holiday gift shopping. PureLinq designed the survey and conducted the analysis.
The questionnaire focused on the difficulty of holiday gift giving: which part of shopping is most challenging, how easy or difficult respondents think they are to buy for, which people are hardest to buy for, and where holiday gift baskets fit in, including whether respondents have bought a basket for someone difficult to buy for, the situations in which they would buy one, who a basket is best suited for, and what matters most when choosing one.
The survey was conducted from September 29 to October 7, 2026. The final sample included 1,037 complete responses. The survey included an attention-check question, and we included only responses that passed it.
For "select all that apply" and "choose up to three" questions, each answer was counted on its own. Segment percentages are based on everyone in that segment. Generations are defined by reported age: Gen Z, 29 and under; Millennials, 30 to 44; Gen X, 45 to 60; Boomers, 61 or older.
Important Limitations
All results are self-reported and describe how respondents think about holiday gift shopping. They are not drawn from purchase records, and a stated likelihood to buy a gift basket is not a measured purchase.
The self-rating question asks respondents to judge how hard they are to buy for; it is a self-perception, not a rating by the people who shop for them. The contrast between self-ratings and the people respondents name as difficult should be read in that light.
Segment differences are not adjusted for one another. Generation, income, gender, and having children at home overlap, so a gap in one segment may partly reflect another. The Gen Z group and the $150K+ income group are smaller than the others, so read their results as early signals. The sample skews older than the U.S. adult population and was not weighted.