Social Media Overtakes Traditional Channels for Holiday Shopping Inspiration
Sprout Social (NASDAQ: SPT) Q4 2025 Pulse Survey finds social media leads holiday gift inspiration for Gen Z and Millennials and ranks second overall behind in-store shopping. 80% of shoppers plan to use social as much or more this season; 45% cite social for product ideas. The report says $1.5 trillion social commerce market places social channels at the center of discovery and care.
73% of shoppers plan to contact brands via social this holiday and most expect fast, personalized replies; 69% of consumers (and 78% of Gen Z/Millennials) are comfortable with AI for faster, personalized social customer care. The survey flags authenticity, responsiveness and data privacy as 2026 priorities for brands.
Sprout Social (NASDAQ: SPT) L'indagine Pulse del Q4 2025 mostra che i social media guidano l'ispirazione per i regali delle festività per Gen Z e i Millennials e si posizionano al secondo posto complessivo dopo lo shopping in negozio. 80% dei consumatori pianificano di utilizzare i social in modo uguale o maggiore questa stagione; 45% citano i social come fonte di idee per i prodotti. Il rapporto afferma che il mercato della social commerce, pari a $1.5 trilioni, colloca i canali social al centro della scoperta e dell'assistenza.
73% dei consumatori pianificano di contattare i marchi tramite i social durante le festività e la maggior parte si aspetta risposte rapide e personalizzate; 69% dei consumatori (e 78% dei Gen Z/Millennials) si sentono a proprio agio con l'IA per un'assistenza clienti social più rapida e personalizzata. L'indagine evidenzia autenticità, reattività e privacy dei dati come priorità per i marchi nel 2026.
Sprout Social (NASDAQ: SPT) La encuesta Pulse del cuarto trimestre de 2025 encuentra que las redes sociales lideran la inspiración para regalos navideños para la Generación Z y los Millennials y se ubican en segundo lugar globalmente, detrás de las compras en tiendas. 80% de los compradores planean usar las redes sociales tanto o más esta temporada; 45% citan las redes sociales como fuente de ideas de producto. El informe dice que el mercado de comercio social, valorado en $1.5 trillones, coloca a los canales sociales en el centro del descubrimiento y la atención.
73% de los compradores planean contactar a las marcas a través de las redes sociales durante las fiestas y la mayoría espera respuestas rápidas y personalizadas; 69% de los consumidores (y 78% de la Generación Z/Millennials) se sienten cómodos con la IA para una atención al cliente social más rápida y personalizada. La encuesta señala la autenticidad, la capacidad de respuesta y la privacidad de los datos como prioridades para las marcas en 2026.
Sprout Social (NASDAQ: SPT) 2025년 4분기 Pulse 조사는 소셜 미디어가 Gen Z와 밀레니얼 세대의 연말 선물 영감을 이끈다고 하고, 매장 내 쇼핑 뒤에 전체 순위에서 2위를 차지합니다. 80%의 쇼핑객이 이번 시즌에 소셜을 지금만큼이나 많이 또는 더 많이 사용할 계획; 45%는 소셜을 상품 아이디어의 출처로 꼽습니다. 보고서는 $1.5 조 달러의 소셜 커머스 시장이 소셜 채널을 발견과 케어의 중심에 위치시킨다고 말합니다.
73%의 쇼핑객이 이번 연휴에 브랜드에 소셜을 통한 연락을 계획하고 대부분은 빠르고 개인화된 응답을 기대합니다; 69%의 소비자(Gen Z/Millennials의 78%)는 더 빠르고 개인화된 소셜 고객 케어를 위해 AI에 편안함을 느낍니다. 이 조사는 2026년 브랜드의 우선순위로 진정성, 반응성 및 데이터 프라이버시를 지목합니다.
Sprout Social (NASDAQ: SPT) L'enquête Pulse du T4 2025 révèle que les médias sociaux guident l'inspiration pour les cadeaux de fin d'année pour la génération Z et les millennials et se classent deuxième derrière les achats en magasin. 80% des acheteurs prévoient d'utiliser les réseaux sociaux aussi ou plus cette saison; 45% citent les réseaux sociaux comme source d'idées de produits. Le rapport indique que le marché du commerce social, évalué à $1.5 trillion, place les canaux sociaux au cœur de la découverte et de l'accompagnement.
73% des acheteurs prévoient de contacter les marques via les réseaux sociaux pendant les fêtes et la plupart s'attendent à des réponses rapides et personnalisées; 69% des consommateurs (et 78% des Gen Z/Millennials) se sentent à l'aise avec l'IA pour un service client social plus rapide et personnalisé. L'enquête souligne l'authenticité, la réactivité et la confidentialité des données comme priorités pour les marques en 2026.
Sprout Social (NASDAQ: SPT) Die Pulse-Umfrage zum vierten Quartal 2025 zeigt, dass soziale Medien die Inspiration für Weihnachtsgeschenke bei Gen Z und Millennials anführen und insgesamt an zweiter Stelle hinter dem Shopping im Laden rangieren. 80% der Käufer planen, in dieser Saison soziale Medien genauso viel oder mehr zu nutzen; 45% geben Social als Quelle für Produktideen an. Der Bericht besagt, dass der $1.5 Billionen schwere Social-Commerce-Markt soziale Kanäle ins Zentrum von Entdeckung und Betreuung stellt.
73% der Käufer planen, Marken über Social während der Feiertage zu kontaktieren, und die meisten erwarten schnelle, personalisierte Antworten; 69% der Verbraucher (und 78% der Gen Z/Millennials) fühlen sich mit KI wohl für schnelleren, personalisierten Social-Kundendienst. Die Umfrage kennzeichnet Authentizität, Reaktionsfähigkeit und Datenschutz als Prioritäten für Marken im Jahr 2026.
Sprout Social (NASDAQ: SPT) تجد مسح Pulse للربع الرابع من 2025 أن وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي تقود إلهام هدايا العطلة لـ Gen Z والميلينيالز وتحتل المرتبة الثانية عمومًا خلف التسوق داخل المتاجر. 80% من المتسوقين يخططون لاستخدام وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي بنفس القدر أو أكثر هذا الموسم؛ 45% يذكرون وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي كمصدر لأفكار المنتجات. يقول التقرير إن سوق التجارة الاجتماعية بقيمة $1.5 تريليون يضع قنوات التواصل الاجتماعي في مركز الاكتشاف والرعاية.
73% من المتسوقين يخططون للاتصال بالعلامات التجارية عبر وسائل التواصل هذا العيد وأغلبهم يتوقع ردودًا سريعة وشخصية؛ 69% من المستهلكين (و78% من Gen Z/Millennials) مرتاحون للذكاء الاصطناعي من أجل رعاية عملاء اجتماعية أسرع وشخصية. تشير الدراسة إلى الأصالة والاستجابة وخصوصية البيانات كأولويات للعلامات التجارية في 2026.
- 80% of shoppers will use social media as much or more this holiday season
- 73% of shoppers plan to contact brands via social during the holiday season
- 45% of respondents use social media for product ideas
- 69% of consumers (78% of Gen Z/Millennials) comfortable with AI for social customer care
- $1.5 trillion cited size of the social commerce market
- 55% of consumers believe brands do not act sufficiently on social insights
- Only 12% cite AI chatbots as a source for product ideas
- Data privacy and ad control are top platform issues for users entering 2026
- New research finds that social media is the number one source for holiday gift inspiration for Gen Z and Millennials
73% of shoppers plan to contact a brand on social media this holiday season- A large majority of consumers are comfortable with companies using AI to deliver better customer care
CHICAGO, Nov. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New research from Sprout Social (NASDAQ: SPT), an industry-leading provider of social media management and analytics software, reveals that social media is a leading hub for shopping, customer care, and product discovery around peak retail season. The Q4 2025 Pulse Survey highlights how authentic, human-driven content and customer care outperform automation, offering brands clear strategies to capture revenue as we enter the peak of the gift-giving season.
The survey finds that
The
“We know social media has become the hub for commerce, but seeing it emerge as the number one source of holiday gift inspiration among younger consumers truly underscores its influence,” said Scott Morris, Chief Marketing Officer at Sprout Social. “To reach these audiences, brands need to be present across diverse social platforms—delivering relatable content, authentic engagement and responsive care. AI can help scale care and creativity, positioning brands to show up more meaningfully in more places. The holidays are the perfect moment to refine strategies, reach new audiences and build momentum for the year ahead.”
Looking to 2026, the Q4 2025 Pulse Survey signals a crucial pivot for brands where authenticity is no longer a point of differentiation, but a prerequisite. Human-generated content is the number-one priority for users next year; almost
Learn more and access the full Q4 2025 Pulse Survey here.
About the Data
This consumer survey was conducted online by Panoplai on behalf of Sprout Social. Participants included 2,270 social media users across the US, UK, and Australia. The survey was conducted from September 25 to September 28, 2025.
About Sprout Social
Sprout Social is a global leader in social media management and analytics software, built on the belief that All Business is Social℠. Sprout’s intuitive platform puts powerful social data into the hands of approximately 30,000 brands so they can deliver smarter, faster business impact. Named the #1 Best Software Product by G2’s 2024 Best Software Award, Sprout offers comprehensive publishing and engagement functionality, customer care, influencer marketing, advocacy, crisis management, and AI-powered, predictive business intelligence. Sprout’s software operates across all major social media networks and digital platforms. For more information about Sprout Social (NASDAQ: SPT), visit sproutsocial.com
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FAQ
What did Sprout Social (SPT) report about holiday shopping habits on Nov 4, 2025?
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