Inflation Is Rewriting Holiday Shopping: 96% of Consumers Are Finding Smarter Ways to Stretch Their Budgets

Minty’s new Smart Shopper Study finds consumers are turning to AI and cashback and savings apps, shopping earlier to uncover best values

CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Holiday shoppers are turning to AI to do more than find gift ideas. They’re using it to find better prices, compare options and save time as inflation continues to put pressure on household budgets. A new study¹ from the fastest-growing AI shopping companion, Minty, finds 54% of shoppers plan to use AI to shop this holiday season, and roughly two-thirds are turning to cashback and savings apps to stretch their budgets further.

That pressure is real, with 91% of shoppers saying they are concerned about inflation. Yet shoppers aren’t planning on cutting back. 79% plan to spend the same or more than last year, and they're getting smarter about it, with nearly all (96%) planning to use at least one strategy to stretch their budgets. Consumers are stacking AI, cashback and comparison shopping to make every dollar work harder and are calling it moneymaxxing.

AI shopping and the rise of moneymaxxing

AI use is one of the clearest examples of the rise of moneymaxxing. It’s moved from an occasional tool to a shopping habit, with 44% saying they use it more than they did last year for shopping. They’re using it to find the best price (52%), discover gift ideas (45%) and to compare products, brands, or retailers (38%).

Consumers are also looking to AI to reduce the time and effort that comes with holiday shopping. Sixty percent say AI will save them time this season, with the majority of shoppers (59%) expecting to save up to 25 hours.

Cashback is the other side of the moneymaxxing toolkit

AI is not the only technology shoppers are using to optimize holiday spending. When shoppers were asked which tools help most this season, cashback and savings apps ranked highest.

Roughly two-thirds (67%) plan to use cashback and savings apps or browser extensions this season, with shoppers prioritizing high cashback rates, automatic savings and coupon-finding features. And these deal seekers are not spending less overall. Cashback and savings-tool users intend to spend 30% more than non-users, while nearly half plan to increase their holiday spending compared with just 13% of non-users. Rather than cutting purchases, price-conscious consumers are using technology to feel more confident that they are getting maximum value.

Nearly every shopper is stretching the budget

Ninety-six percent of shoppers plan to use at least one budget-stretching strategy this holiday season, and the average shopper expects to use three different savings strategies. Shoppers expect these tools and strategies to deliver meaningful savings. About 42% expect to save between $50 and $200 this holiday season, while another 13% expect to save more than $200.

That means consumers are not waiting for one big sale; they’re also not waiting for the season to officially start. More than 25% of shoppers say they’ll start before October and 14% say they’re already shopping now, looking for every sale opportunity.

Price and the best available deal also rank as the biggest influence on where consumers choose to shop. The result is a consumer who is not necessarily buying less, but is now unwilling to buy without checking whether there is a smarter way to do it first. The survey shows that all shoppers regardless of age, gender, region and household income, are embracing savings tools and expecting meaningful savings this holiday season.

“Holiday shoppers are using AI and cashback to optimize two things they never have enough of during this busy season - money and time,” said Rodney Mason, Chief Marketing Officer of Minty. “They still want to participate in the season, but they want technology to help them to be more in control of the value they get from every purchase. For retailers, that means the most price-conscious shoppers may still be some of the most valuable, and winning them will increasingly depend on proving value quickly, reducing friction and making it easier to find the best deal.”

The Smart Shopper Study will be presented in a live webinar on Tuesday, August 25 at 2:00 PM EST. All registrants will receive a copy of the full study following the event. Register here.

About Minty

Minty is the fastest-growing AI shopping companion that proactively unleashes savings that matter most for smart shoppers, creating more loyalty for the e-com brands they shop.

As the pioneer of Proactive Commerce, Minty has 100’s of millions of shoppers and is ranked by G2 as a top 5 commerce tool that generates incremental revenue for e-commerce brands from high intent shoppers without disrupting existing marketing channels.

Minty for Shoppers: www.minty.com

Minty For Brands: https://business.minty.com/

Minty app for ChatGPT

¹This survey, titled "The Smart Shopper" was conducted between July 28 and July 31 online among 1,015 US adults, balanced to census demographics for age and gender at 97% confidence.