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Nostalgia and viral trends are influencing purchases. RetailMeNot surveyed 1,169 U.S. adults and found that 40% of shoppers say nostalgic or viral holiday trends are helping to shape their buying decisions this year. This change in shopping behavior shows this is more than just some clever inspiration on your feeds, consumers are actually starting to buy this stuff in record numbers. 58% of Millennials have purchased (or plan to purchase) based on these cozy nostalgic trends. Among Gen Z, RetailMeNot found 37% are buying based on these trends, while 35% are simply saving ideas and building dream décor boards.

“Consumers have faced several years of rising costs, and what we’re seeing now is resilience turning into strategy,” said Magali Darling, the chief commercial officer at RetailMeNot, a company that offers discount coupons and cash-back options on some purchases. “It’s a long-term shift in how consumers approach spending, with a stronger focus on making every dollar work harder.” At RetailMeNot, account registrations this year through November jumped 22 percent from the same period in 2024.

"National Cash Back Day has become a holiday season tradition for savvy shoppers, and this year we're taking it to the next level with our highest cash back offers ever," said Stephanie Carls, Retail Insights Expert at RetailMeNot. "People are getting smarter about how they spend, and RetailMeNot makes it easy to stretch every dollar, shop the brands they love, and get cash back while doing it."

The majority of consumers are setting a budget this holiday season – but increased promotions may lead some to spend more than they planned. Nearly six-in-10 (58%) consumers are setting a holiday budget, with more than a quarter 26% planning to be strict about their spending, according to a new survey from deal platform RetailMeNot. The average planned holiday spend this year is $913 total ($611 on gifts for others, $302 on themselves).

"With potential tariffs and supply chain disruptions on the horizon, we're seeing shoppers start their holiday shopping earlier this year. In fact, more than half plan to begin before November," said Stephanie Carls, Retail Insights Expert at RetailMeNot. "These app-only savings are the smartest way to get ahead, offering deep cash back rewards that put real money back in shoppers' pockets."

With the upcoming holiday weekend, many consumers are keeping their eyes peeled for the Labor Day specials and sales. To help you sort through the best – and worst – buys of the season, ConsumerAffairs spoke to RetailMeNot’s Retail Insights Expert Stephanie Carls. She shares insights on what to buy, what not to buy, whether it’s too early to start planning for the holidays, and more.

After all, though TikTok may tell you that everyone is doing up their dorm rooms at the cost of roughly a new car, in reality, the average family spend (according to a RetailMeNot poll) is a much less jaw-dropping $598. "Bama Rush showed us how TikTok can turn a very specific college tradition into a national spectacle. Dorm culture is doing the same thing, as what used to be a quiet move-in weekend is now a public performance where the reveal and the viral traction matter as much as the room itself," explains Stephanie Carls, who is RetailMeNot's retail insights expert. "This is not decorating. This is dorm culture. That being said, Ikea will still beat out West Elm for most students."