Snapchat's 2026 holiday guide: shopping decisions happen in the chat.
Snap's holiday guide argues that private chats with friends and family drive gift choices, and that Snapchatters plan and spend early.
By Snap Inc. · Oct 12, 2026
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Snap's 2026 holiday guide, "Wrapped in the Chat", makes the case that holiday purchases are shaped in private conversations between friends and family. It pulls together Ipsos and other studies on daily Snapchatters' timing and spending, and points brands to Snapchat ad formats built for that moment.
Key findings
- Half of daily Snapchatters say they have their holiday and New Year wish lists settled before Halloween, and 48% start buying seasonal items before November (Ipsos, 2026).
- 60% of daily Snapchat holiday shoppers look for product ideas before December (Ipsos, 2026).
- Daily Snapchatters estimate their holiday spend at $984 on average, against $567 for non-users (Ipsos, 2026).
- 65% of daily Snapchatters enjoy shopping from late December through January, a window Snap pushes advertisers not to go dark in (Ipsos research for Snap, Q5 2025).
- In US research by NRG, 68% of Snapchatters say seeing brands their friends like makes them want those brands more.
Why it matters
The guide reinforces two planning points for Q4: start activity well before November, and keep budget live after Christmas, when many shoppers are still buying.
About this report
Published by Snap Inc., October 2026. Free. Get the full report from Snap Inc.