As the holiday season approaches, shopping carts online and in-person are filling up fast, but the items consumers are buying and the stores they are shopping at have transformed. With viral TikTok trends influencing teen wishlists and practical gifts dominating adult purchases, holiday shopping this year reflects the evolution of consumer culture.
In 2025, gifts for teens are largely shaped by what they view online on social media platforms. According to Good Housekeeping, editors identify popular gifts by speaking with brands about their upcoming launches, viral products, and consumer trends. Many of this year’s most requested teen gifts fall into the three categories of beauty, fashion, and technology. Popular items include Apple products, such as AirPods Pro, iPhones, MacBooks, and Apple watches. Trendy brands like Lululemon, UGG, Kendra Scott, Tree Hut, and Kodak are equally requested. These items are not toys; they are lifestyle products.
This marks a major shift from the early 2000s. In that era, popular teen gifts included Bratz dolls, Furbies, scooters, Rainbow Loom kits, Beyblades, DVDs, and Heelys. These gifts were more associated with playing and were often marketed through television commercials. The contrast highlights how today’s teens are less focused on being kids and playing with toys. They are instead concerned with aligning with the current online trends.
Adults are also receiving different kinds of gifts than they did decades ago. According to The New York Times Wirecutter, popular gifts for dads include TruWood watches, Yeti coolers, grooming tools, customized drinkware, and garden tools like pressure washers. Gifts for moms often include purses, high-quality socks, hair care products, heated vests, jewelry, and home decor items. Overall, adult gifts in 2025 tend to emphasize practicality and quality rather than novelty items. On the other hand, in the early 2000s, popular adult gifts included Steve Madden shoes, CD binders, Canon cameras, and trading cards. Many of these items were tied to physical media or early digital technology, but now, gifts are more focused on enhancing daily life.
Where people are shopping has changed just as much as the items they buy. Online shopping has surged dramatically in recent years, especially after 2020. According to Visual Capitalist, in 2010, only 4.1% of total retail sales were online. By 2024, that number had risen to 15.5%. Websites like Amazon and Etsy have become common destinations for convenience, but also for unique gifts. Still, many shoppers rely on big stores for accessibility and physical choices. Gwen Rabago, a senior at Pennridge High School, says she started her holiday shopping earlier, using a mix of online and physical shopping. She purchased items like candy, fuzzy socks, and gift cards for her friends and family. Rabago added an interesting note, saying, “Any gift cards, I feel like, are always great for me! Especially since I’m always unsure what I want for Christmas.” She notes that gift cards are often a safe and appreciated option, as they allow the recipient to purchase an item they will enjoy rather than her having to guess. Rabago noted that Target was the most common store for items on her list, and she believes makeup and clothing are the most requested gifts among teenage girls this year.
Despite the rise of online shopping, small businesses and craft fairs continue to thrive. Jill Olsen, a beaded jewelry and bag charm vendor from Jillies Jewelz, has been attending craft fairs for three years. She described her most recent craft fair, hosted by an Executive Council at Pennridge High School, as “very good” with the “right amount of people and vendors.” Olsen also noted that she found out about the fair through Facebook. Her experience shows that many consumers still value handmade items during the holiday season.
Looking ahead, holiday gift shopping is likely to continue evolving with the growing presence of technology and social media. As platforms like TikTok and Instagram shape trends, gift preferences may become even more rapidly changing. The growing popularity of online shopping suggests that convenience will remain a large factor for holiday shopping. Still, the continued success of craft fairs and small businesses shows that there is still value in meaningful, unique gifts. In the future, holiday shopping should become more about balancing trends with personal connection, allowing consumers to remind themselves what makes a gift truly special.
Sources:
20 Christmas Presents You DESPERATELY Wanted to Find Under the Tree in the 2000s
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/gift-ideas/g63362525/most-popular-gifts-2025/
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/celebs/g39960544/things-from-2000s-you-forgot-about/
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/gifts/best-gifts-for-dad/
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/gifts/best-gifts-for-mom/
