Blue Yonder Consumer Behavior Survey for Christmas

Blue Yonder, the AI company for supply chain, today presented the results of its Global Consumer Holiday Shipping Survey 2025, which provides comprehensive insights into how consumers are rethinking their plans for Christmas shopping and gift shipping. The survey included consumers from Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), as well as the USA.

(Dallas/Stuttgart) A significant finding is that while more than half (53 percent) of surveyed consumers expect their orders to arrive within two to four days, only one-third (34 percent) are very confident about the delivery date. Consequently, 78 percent of respondents planning to buy gifts for people outside their household intend to make their purchases at least three to four weeks in advance. The survey also revealed that many consumers are willing to consider alternative shipping methods to reduce costs, delivery times, and environmental impacts.

Key findings from Blue Yonder’s Global Consumer Holiday Shipping Survey 2025 include:

High Expectations for Fast Shipping, but Low Confidence in Delivery Times

• Fast Standard Shipping: More than half (53 percent) of respondents expect packages with standard shipping to arrive within two to four days after placing an online order. This view is most prevalent among respondents in Germany (64 percent), the United Kingdom (61 percent), France (57 percent), and the Middle East (54 percent), compared to less than half in the USA (47 percent) and ANZ (36 percent).
• Lack of Confidence: Although expectations for fast shipping are high, only slightly more than one-third (34 percent) of respondents are very confident that their packages will arrive by the expected delivery date. Across all regions, respondents from the Middle East (51 percent) expressed the most confidence in timely package delivery, compared to those in the USA (37 percent), Germany (31 percent), ANZ (30 percent), France (30 percent), and the United Kingdom (26 percent).
• Longer Delivery Times for Gifts Purchased for Other Households: More than three-quarters (78 percent) of those planning to buy gifts for other households intend to purchase their Christmas gifts at least three to four weeks in advance to ensure timely delivery. Among age groups, Generation Z (48 percent), Generation X (45 percent), and Millennials (44 percent) plan to order gifts three to four weeks in advance, while nearly half of Baby Boomers (49 percent) plan to order gifts more than a month in advance. Cost-conscious consumers are rethinking ways for fast and sustainable shipping.
• Direct Shipping of Gifts by Retailers: 86 percent of consumers prefer to have gifts for people outside their household shipped directly from the retailer, with the Middle East (94 percent) showing the strongest preference, followed by France (90 percent), the USA (86 percent), Germany (86 percent), ANZ (81 percent), and the United Kingdom (80 percent). Generation Z and Millennials significantly prefer direct shipping (91 percent) compared to Generation X (83 percent) and Baby Boomers (76 percent).
• Lack of Willingness to Pay for Express Shipping: Many respondents in the United Kingdom (43 percent) and the USA (40 percent) are not willing to pay extra for express shipping, compared to ANZ (32 percent), Germany (28 percent), France (24 percent), and the Middle East (11 percent). This trend is observed across all generations: nearly half of Baby Boomers (49 percent) are not willing to incur additional costs, followed by Generation X (34 percent), Millennials (22 percent), and Generation Z (15 percent).
• Willingness to Use In-Store and Locker Pickup for Free and Fast Delivery: More than half (53 percent) of respondents are willing to use in-store pickup to receive their online orders faster, followed by locker pickup (42 percent). These are also the two main alternatives for consumers seeking free shipping: 49 percent of respondents are willing to pick up their orders in-store, while 38 percent opt for locker pickup.
• Bundling Purchases for Greater Sustainability: 56 percent of respondents are willing to bundle purchases to minimize the environmental impact of shipping, while 34 percent are open to slower shipping options to reduce emissions. Additionally, 23 percent are willing to pay a fee for CO2 offsets. Notably, one-third of respondents in the Middle East were willing to pay the small fee, compared to those in France (29 percent), Germany (26 percent), ANZ (19 percent), the United Kingdom (17 percent), and the USA (17 percent).

How Disruptions Are Changing Consumer Behavior

“The shipping and logistics industry faced numerous challenges this year, and our Global Consumer Holiday Shipping Survey 2025 shows how these disruptions are changing consumer behavior,” said Ann Marie Jonkman, Vice President, Global Industry Strategies, Blue Yonder. “Consumers across all regions and generations are entering the holiday season with higher expectations for speed, affordability, and sustainability. These shifting priorities could have significant implications for retailers and logistics providers at the start of the peak season – with the potential to greatly impact year-end sales performance.”

“The results highlight a critical shift in consumer behavior and delivery expectations this holiday season,” Jonkman continued. “Retailers and logistics providers must demonstrate their reliability and agility, not just promise it. AI-powered supply chain solutions offer a path to the future, enabling companies to optimize their logistics operations to meet rising demands and provide a better customer experience.”

Background of the Survey

The Blue Yonder 2025 Global Consumer Holiday Shipping Survey was conducted in October 2025 by a third party. Blue Yonder surveyed over 6,000 consumers in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), France, Germany, the Middle East, the United Kingdom, and the USA to gain insights into how shipping affects consumer shopping behavior during this year’s holiday season. Responses were collected from consumers who confirmed they plan to purchase gifts for the holiday season.

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