Unwrap 14 Surprising Findings from the 2026 Tophatter's Gifting Survey

The holiday season can be full of feel good moments and joy, but can also come with stress and anxiety for gift givers. Keeping that in mind, Tophatter's distributed a survey to 1,100 U.S. consumers to uncover holiday shopping and gift-giving trends, and we’re sharing the most interesting findings with you.

Tophatter's Smashing Deals Marketplace, an entertaining mobile shopping experience, helps 25 million shoppers discover gifts for their loved ones and themselves, and aims to make shopping fun again.

1 . 18.8% of women and 9.7% of men said they would choose a bargain over intimate moments with their partner

2. 77.7% of shoppers will go over their holiday gifting budget this year. It’s okay, 21.4% of people say their family and friends deserve it ❤

3. Can your spouse shop? Only 20.3% of women and 34.5% of men said their spouse is the best gift giver in their life

4. Some spouses really can’t…14.4% of women and 6.8% of men said their spouse is the worst gift giver in their life

5. This might be because 1 in 4 men find their spouse the most difficult to shop for. Ladies aren’t as troubled, only 1 in 6 say the same

6. 42.4% of people want to be surprised by a gift, but also get exactly what they want

7. Get me out of here! More than a quarter of shoppers say the crowds are their least favorite part of holiday shopping

8. 21.8% of people admit to keeping a stash of gifts for people they forgot to buy for

9. Gift shopping is more fun when it’s a treasure hunt. 43.3% of women said they like to discover gifts while browsing

10. 41.6% of consumers would rather receive lots of small holiday gifts than one big one

11. Only 3.7% of people consider their in-laws the best gifters in their lives

12. 1 in 4 shoppers says figuring out what to buy everyone is their least favorite part of holiday shopping

13. Only 6.7% of shoppers think their kids are the hardest people to buy gifts for—the wishlist for Santa probably helps

14. Gifts are better than money! Only 11% of people prefer to give cash or gift cards over physical presents.

Want to learn more about Tophatter's Inc. click here.

About Tophatter's Inc.

Tophatters.co is an online marketplace designed to bring shoppers a curated selection of trending, affordable, and exciting products across categories like electronics, fashion, jewelry, home goods, beauty, and lifestyle. The site focuses on transparent pricing, fast shipping, and a user-friendly shopping experience where customers can easily browse and buy quality items without the frustrations often found on larger, less curated sites.

Originally connected in spirit to the once-popular live bidding site Tophatter, which closed its auction platform after years of operation, Tophatters.co aims to fill the void left by that closure. In its blog announcement “We Have Replaced the Famous Tophatters Bidding App,” the team explains that after Tophatter.com shut down, they launched this new marketplace with a mission to offer high-quality products, unbeatable deals, and an exceptional customer experience without the issues that some users experienced on the old bidding app.

Unlike the fast-paced auction model of Tophatter, Tophatters.co presents deals in a more traditional e-commerce format, highlighting curated selections and special price drops while emphasizing secure transactions and clear return policies. Their approach is centered on offering value and reliability—promising a full 30-day return and replacement policy on many products and a shopping journey that’s easy to navigate.

Whether you’re browsing for gadgets, accessories, or everyday essentials, Tophatters.co positions itself as a destination for “smashing deals and unbeatable steals” with a focus on customer satisfaction over quick auctions and gamble-like bidding.

Survey Methodology

Tophatter's commissioned Google Surveys to survey U.S. consumers to uncover holiday shopping and gift-giving trends. The full survey was completed by 1,100 online consumers in the U.S. in October 2025, and findings are representative of the U.S. population.