Rising trust in creators, self-gifting surge, and earlier shopping signal big opportunities for brands
LTK, the first and largest Creator Commerce™ platform, released its 2025 Holiday Shopper Study, revealing how creators are reshaping holiday shopping behavior from what’s on consumers’ wish lists to when and how they buy. The findings highlight a new level of consumer trust in creators and a shift toward earlier, more curated holiday purchasing experience.
Trust in creators hits record highs
Creators are the most influential forces in the retail economy, with Gen Z and Millennials ranking creators as their number one trusted source for holiday purchases and 70% of the general population now making purchases based on creator recommendations. Trust in creators has jumped 21% year-over-year as shoppers increasingly turn to the authentic, real product recommendations from the creators they relate to and follow online.
From Me, to Me: Self Gifting Surges This Holiday Season
This holiday season isn’t just about giving; it’s about treating yourself. Self-gifting hits a new high with 90% of consumers planning to shop for themselves while buying gifts for others, up from last year. Beauty and personal care products top the list for self-gifting across all generations, with entertainment and fashion close behind.
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Entertainment items like games, music and books are the top-ranked gifts again this year across the general population, Millennials and Gen Z, while beauty and personal care products are a top gift category for both Millennials and Gen Z.
Consumers plan to shop earlier and care more about availability than price
Product availability has overtaken price as the most important factor in holiday purchase decisions this year. More than half of consumers (53%) expect inventory shortages, and 61% rely on creators to provide in-stock alternatives. As a result, 43% plan to start holiday shopping by September, a 13% increase from last year.
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Creator Marketing Trends Shaping the Rest of 2025
As we approach the busiest shopping season of the year, there are three big creator-led trends driving discovery and conversion this holiday season and beyond.
- Creators are powerful drivers across the full consumer journey: 3 in 4 consumers want to see creator content while actively shopping in store or on a brand’s website, and 84% trust brands more when creators review products directly on a brand’s own website.
- From social to streaming: Shoppers want to see creator content not just on social platforms, but across streaming services and connected TV (CTV).
- Personalized influence: Consumers are gravitating toward creators who mirror their style, values, lifestyle, and even location with 67% of LTK users repeatedly returning to search for the same creators again and again.
