Constant Contact 报告：通胀成中小企业与消费者2026假日季首要担忧，AI助力运营提效

Inflation is top of the list for concerns that both small businesses and consumers during the upcoming holiday season, according to a report by email marketing firm Constant Contact.

The Constant Contact Small Business Now Holiday Report examines the plans, priorities and
pressures of small businesses, alongside shopping habits of consumers for the 2026 holiday
season.

The study finds that small businesses and their customers are leaning on each other this year.
Inflation is the top concern on both sides, so shoppers are looking for sales and discounts while small businesses are offering them. A growing number of shoppers are choosing to spend with small businesses specifically to support them, and most are open to trying a small business they have never purchased from before.

Small businesses are turning to AI to streamline operations, while focusing on the unique products and experiences that they are known for that give them an advantage over big-box
retailers. AI is being used for creative work while keeping the human touch for customer service.

Despite economic uncertainty, most small business owners are confident they will meet their
holiday revenue goals. However, many have no plans to follow up with holiday shoppers or
invite them to join an email list or loyalty program once the season ends.

Ultimately, small businesses that turn first-time holiday shoppers into repeat customers will be
best positioned to carry this momentum into 2027.

Inflation is the Main Concern for SMBs and Consumers

● Rising prices are the primary obstacle for everyone heading into the holiday season,
cited by 31.5% of consumers and 30.1% of small businesses.
● Because budgets are tight, 52.6% of shoppers look for sales and discounts as their main
incentive to shop small, while 38.1% of small businesses rely on discounts as their top
sales tactic.

Shoppers Interest in Small Business Shopping is Growing

● Consumers who plan to increase their spending at small businesses specifically to
support them has nearly doubled over the last two years, rising from 11.0% in 2024 to
20.2% in 2026.
● Supporting local merchants is the single biggest reason consumers prefer shopping
small (55.5% globally and 53.1% in the US).
● 75.2% of consumers state they are likely (20.2% extremely likely, 55.0% somewhat
likely) to shop with a small business they have never purchased from before this holiday
season.

Small Businesses Are Confident Ahead of the Holiday Season

● 77.2% of small businesses globally report feeling confident or extremely confident
(20.1% extremely, 57.1% confident) that they will hit their 2026 holiday revenue goals.
Confidence is highest in the US, where 81.1% of SMBs express revenue optimism.
● 71.0% of small businesses rated their prior year’s holiday marketing efforts as effective
(22.2% extremely effective, 48.8% somewhat effective).

How does this apply to tech/games?

I asked the report authors how this applies to tech and games. Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, said in a message to GamesBeat, “Our report covers small businesses across industries, including tech, so I can speak to the bigger picture. Inflation is the main concern for small businesses and consumers.”

Charest added, “So it is no surprise that more than 52% of shoppers say sales and discounts are their main incentive to shop small. With tech and gaming price tags on the higher end, it’s going to be key to lean into that. Show value while offering clear promotions and loyalty discounts. And with a little more than 75% of shoppers open to trying a new small business, there’s a real opportunity. Listen to what your customers are telling you, build it into your holiday plan, and keep those relationships going after the holidays.”

Unique Selling Points Remain Top of Mind for Shopping Small

● 48.5% of shoppers choose small businesses because they offer original or more exciting
gifts that big chains cannot match.
● 43.9% of consumers prefer small businesses for a more enjoyable shopping
environment, complemented by personalized customer service (26.2%).
● 52.6% of shoppers look for direct sales or discounts, which aligns with the 38.1% of
SMBs featuring discounts as their primary promotion.
● Convenience options like flexible pickup, returns, and free shipping appeal to 44.1% of
consumers and are prioritized by 21.9% of SMBs.

AI is Being Used Where Small Businesses and Consumers Are Most Comfortable

● 68.2% of small businesses plan to leverage AI tools to streamline their holiday
operations, with 38.4% of SMBs taking proactive steps to improve overall operational
efficiency.
● 56.3% of consumers are comfortable with SMBs using AI for marketing assets.
● Top SMB use cases include drafting marketing content (33.6%), creating product
imagery (32.2%), and forecasting inventory demand (30.9%) to ensure popular items
stay in stock.

The Largest Opportunity is in the Follow-Up For Small Businesses

● 53.4% of SMBs report that over 25% of holiday customers are repeat buyers.
● 39.0% of SMBs plan to send follow-up emails with updates and special offers in the new year.
● 33.9% plan to introduce new product lines in January and February to keep buyers engaged.
● 22.1% of SMBs aren’t planning any specific follow-up to bring holiday shoppers back in
the new year
● 70.8% of SMBs don’t plan to invite holiday shoppers to join their email list or loyalty/rewards program. Regionally, UK (24.0%) and CAN (25.6%) SMBs are significantly more likely to have no specific follow up plans for after the holidays compared to the US (17.5%).

Unique Stats/Trends By Region

Across all four markets, small businesses that win do so by aligning with regional strengths for
their specific consumers.

In North America (US & Canada): Focus on local convenience, exclusive gift bundling, and
community-driven storytelling to counter big-box migration.

In the UK: Engage shoppers early across social channels with polished digital content and
early-access campaigns.

In ANZ: Streamline local logistics (pickup/returns), leverage AI for visual merchandising, and
build on strong repeat buyer loyalty.

United States

U.S. retail is defined by intense competition and a polarized consumer base.
● Intentional support for small businesses reached a multi-year high of 20.2%
● U.S. SMBs exhibit the highest revenue confidence globally (81.1%), with nearly 30%
feeling ‘extremely confident’ they’ll hit their holiday revenue goals this year.
● To capture market share, 66.5% are ramping up marketing message frequency and
aggressively adopting operational AI, prioritizing image generation (35.3%) and sales
forecasting (34.5%).
● U.S. SMBs are significantly more likely to plan to “send follow up emails” (45.5%) and “offer
coupons/discounts on future purchase” (36.2%) following the holiday season than all other
regions.

United Kingdom

UK consumers lead in early holiday planning, social commerce, and mission-driven support.
● The UK leads all regions in support-driven spending, with 23.4% of consumers planning
to spend more specifically to help local merchants.
● UK consumers favor independent shops (37.3%) over big-box chains (30.8%).
● 50.7% of UK shoppers start planning between January and August (more than any other
region surveyed), and 25.5% shop directly via social media platforms.
● UK small businesses capitalize on early consumer planning windows, leading global AI
usage in copywriting, social captions, and content creation (35.6%).

Canada

Canadian consumers demonstrate the strongest community loyalty and in-store engagement.
● 62.1% of consumers cite supporting local merchants as their No. 1 reason for shopping
small.
● Canadian shoppers also exhibit the strongest budget stability, with 32.3% keeping their
SMB spending unchanged.
● 45.7% of Canadians do all or most holiday shopping in-person, valuing unique local gifts
(50.9%) and local shipping reliability (32.5%).
● Canadian SMBs focus on operational discipline with 34.8% prioritizing operational
efficiency and 33 % special promotions to meet Canada’s high demand for competitive
sales (58.0%).

Australia & New Zealand

ANZ boasts the highest habitual local shopping rates and seamless digital research habits.
● 43.5% of consumers regularly buy from small, independent businesses.
● 77% of ANZ shoppers are open to trying new merchants and lead globally in demanding
local convenience options like pickup and easy returns (53.6%).

Methodology

Using a custom online questionnaire, Constant Contact surveyed small businesses and consumers for this report. 1,834 business owners and marketers operating small businesses in operation for less than a year to more than 20 years were surveyed. 2,664 consumers aged 18 years and older were also surveyed in these regions. These individuals represented small businesses in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.

The post The small business outlook for the 2026 holiday season appeared first on GamesBeat.