US holiday ecommerce spending projected to grow again in 2026, led by essentials

US online holiday spending for the 2026 season was projected to keep growing, with Cyber Week, the five-day span from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, expected to bring in $47.5 billion, up 7.4% year-over-year, and Cyber Monday alone projected to set a new US ecommerce record above $15 billion in single-day online spending, according to forecasts released that September.

Unlike prior years dominated by gift purchases, 2026 forecasts pointed to a notable rise in essentials: online sales of personal hygiene products were projected to grow 150% compared to average September 2026 levels during Cyber Week, with clothing basics projected to rise 210%, suggesting shoppers were increasingly using holiday-period discounts to stock up on everyday items rather than gifts alone. October online sales overall were projected to rise 8% year-over-year to $95.8 billion, partly credited to October promotional events that had reshaped the shape of the broader holiday shopping season in recent years.