Holiday shopping used to be something students did when they went home for break, largely out of the campus bookstore’s reach. That’s changed. Today’s students discover gifts on their phones, expect to buy them wherever they happen to be standing, and bring very specific values and budgets to the decision. For campus bookstore managers building out a holiday plan, understanding how students actually shop this season matters more than decorating the windows. Here are three trends worth planning around.
Social Commerce Is Becoming a Real Sales Channel, Not Just Discovery
For years, social media was where students found gift ideas before buying elsewhere. That’s shifting — students are increasingly buying directly through the app itself. Nineteen percent of consumers say they’re likely to purchase directly through social media in 2026, up from just 11% in 2025, and Gen Z is leading that shift, with 33% saying they’re likely to buy this way. For a bookstore, that means a well-tagged Instagram or TikTok post isn’t just a top-of-funnel awareness play anymore — it can be the actual point of sale. Bookstores that haven’t set up shoppable social posts or in-app checkout for their spirit wear and gift items are leaving an increasingly important channel completely untapped.
Students Are Spending, But They’re Hunting for Value First
Don’t mistake budget-conscious for cheap — students are still planning to spend meaningfully this holiday season, they’re just being deliberate about where the money goes. Gen Z plans to spend an average of $1,357 during the holiday season, and while they’re value-conscious rather than absent from the market, 82% say they plan to buy “dupes,” or less expensive alternatives to name-brand items. On top of that, this generation isn’t shy about waiting for a deal: research shows more than three-quarters of Gen Z shoppers hold off on a purchase until something goes on sale. For campus bookstores, this points toward clearly signaled discounts, bundle pricing on gift sets, and university-branded alternatives to pricier national brands — giving budget-minded students a reason to buy local instead of waiting for a markdown elsewhere.
The In-Store Experience Is Making a Comeback
After years of online-first shopping, students are rediscovering the appeal of physical stores — which is good news for a bookstore with a real, walkable location on campus. The share of Gen Z planning to shop in-store more this holiday season rose from 27% in 2024 to 37% in 2025, and this generation blends channels heavily, with over 55% of their spending during peak shopping events happening across both online and in-person touchpoints. Students aren’t choosing between digital and physical — they’re moving fluidly between both, often discovering something online and then wanting to see and touch it in person before buying. That makes a well-merchandised, easy-to-browse in-store holiday display just as important as the store’s online presence this season.
The Takeaway
The through-line across all three trends is the same: today’s student shopper doesn’t separate “online” from “in-store,” and doesn’t separate “budget-conscious” from “still spending.” They’re moving fluidly between channels, hunting for value without giving up on gifting, and rediscovering the appeal of a physical store they can actually walk into. Bookstores that meet students where they already are — on social, with visible deals, and with a store worth stopping into — are the ones positioned to capture holiday spending that might otherwise happen somewhere else entirely.
Sources
https://drugstorenews.com/what-2026-winter-holiday-shopping-trends-are-emerging
https://www.ringly.io/blog/gen-z-shopping-statistics-2026
https://www.ypulse.com/report/2026/08/19/holiday-shopping-and-winter-plans-report/
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