Cautious Christmas shoppers out shopping with 20 days left

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. - It looks like 'tis the season to be shopping cautiously, thanks to worries about the economy, jobs, and inflation. 

Cautious consumers

What we know:

Every night, until January 4th, San Rafael's free Holiday Light Spectacular picks up spirits at a time when it's really needed. 

Many retail experts say Christmas 2025 is characterized by a cautious consumer sentiment, driven by inflation. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants predicts that about half of Americans who are planning to spend on travel and gifts, will foot some or much of the costs on credit.

So, shopping early and demanding deals, especially from budget-conscious retailers, is the result. 

"Everything is so inflated now it just makes it so ‘un-enjoyable’ to go shopping. It's unfortunate. It's gonna be a slimmer year for sure." said tree shopper Adrian Buckley. "I definitely do see spike of common things, you know, of common things like food; everything. It does seem like it's much higher now," said shopper Noah Collet.

Oh, Christmas Tree

At the Pronzini Christmas Tree Lot has had good sales so far, thanks to families that have been faithfully coming back for generations. 

"We understand all about that. So, that's why we have not raised our prices in probably three years. My dad tries to keep it so it's affordable for everybody because of the economy being the way that it is," said Alisa Pronzini, a member of the Christmas tree farm family. "The tree is more important than presents actually, especially as our kids get older. It's that part of the tradition that seems to be most important," said Buckley.

Caution is the word, but that doesn't mean abstaining from the holidays. "For most of the year I do pay attention and I save, but in December, I like to splurge a little bit, mostly because of the kids," said Kelsey Cole.

That's why the owner of Madera's A Child's Delight Toy Store, Jonathan Meyer, says he's reasonably happy with sales so far, given the overall economic mood.

I get a sense that there's a little bit of that. At the same time, you know, in December, you've got kids. You don't want to stiff your kids. We deal in a very reasonable price point in here in general. So, there's a lot to buy here on a budget," said Meyer.

Regardless of the economy, one thing is for sure. The holidays always provide a light at the end of the tunnel for better days in the new year. 

The National Retail Federation says Americans will spend an average of about $890 per person on holiday gifts, food, and decorations this year, slightly less than $902 last year.