NATIONAL REPORT – New Spring 2026 research from PwC suggests
Millennial parents, optimistic about their finances, active on social media,
and increasingly open to AI-assisted discovery, are preparing to spend
meaningfully on celebrations, gifts, and travel. For retailers, PwC said, that
convergence of optimism, platform engagement, and household spending pressure
is less a trend to monitor than an opportunity to act on.
When it comes to travel, about 51% of all respondents plan
to stay home in March and April, driven by Boomers (66%) and Gen X (60%), Gen Z
and Millennials, meanwhile, are going the other direction: just roughly 39% of
Gen Z and 38% of Millennials plan to stay home. Roughly 57% of parents with
children under 17 plan to travel this spring.
Parents with children under 17 plan to spend an average of $500
on spring travel—compared to $84 among non-parents and parents of adult
children. Millennials plan to spend an average of $422 on travel, the highest
of any generation—compared to roughly $345 for Gen X, $141 for Gen Z, and $77 for
Boomers.
AI-assisted shopping has nearly doubled since PwC’s Holiday
Outlook survey, rising from ~15-16% to nearly 30% among key
consumer groups.
PwC added that consumers who use social media for spring
holiday inspiration spend nearly 3x more than those
who don’t ($1,517 vs. $583).
For Millennials, that number is even higher, with social
media shoppers spending $2,190 on average compared to $761 on average for
Millennials who don’t use social media to find products. But the gap holds
across generations; even Boomers who use social media for product discovery
spend significantly more ($492 on average vs. $325 on average).
Roughly 50% of Gen Z now use social media to discover spring
holiday products or ideas, up from 43% in PwC’s most recent Holiday Outlook. On
average, 44% of Millennials do the same, up from 42%.
Millennials (roughly 54%), Gen Z (roughly 51%) and Boomers (roughly 49%) are the most optimistic about their financial outlook, displaying a level of consumer confidence even amidst ongoing uncertainty.
PwC
For retailers, PwC said the implication is direct: the
consumer most likely to spend this spring is also the consumer most likely to
be influenced by what they encounter on their feed.
More broadly, according to PwC’s latest consumer survey,
Americans plan to spend an average of $925 this spring holiday season—roughly
60% of what they spend during the winter holidays. But that topline number
might understate the full story. Spending is concentrated among a specific
consumer: optimistic, digitally engaged, and more likely than not shopping for
children.
Parents with children under 17 outspend non-parents by
nearly 4x. Millennial parents plan to spend an average of $1,868—compared to an
average of $501 for Millennials without children. Roughly 65% of all parents
with children under 17 are Millennials, making this segment a large driver of
spring retail spending.
The generational breakdown:
• Millennials plan to spend an average of $1,594—more than
other generations.
• Gen X plans to spend an average of $944.
• Gen Z plans to spend an average of $776.
• Boomers plan to spend an average of $351.
Roughly 49% of all consumers say they are somewhat or very
optimistic about their overall financial outlook heading into spring. Millennials
(roughly 54%), Gen Z (roughly 51%) and Boomers (roughly 49%) are the most
optimistic of the generations, displaying a level of consumer confidence even
amidst ongoing uncertainty.
An average of 29% of Millennials describe themselves as
“very optimistic,” the highest share of any generation surveyed.
Gen X isn’t feeling as positive: only roughly 39% describe
themselves as somewhat or very optimistic.