Small shops still hold the holiday magic
According to the survey, most people in the US would happily keep all their holiday spending within small businesses if they had the option – 77% said they’d do their full shopping list there. And it’s not just about loyalty. Nearly three-quarters of adults (73%) believe small stores have better, more unique gifts in the first place.The price factor is interesting too. When costs match up, 77% would choose a small business over a retailer like Amazon, which tells me people really value the experience. In-person browsing also plays a huge role: 72% say they get their gift ideas while walking through a physical shop, compared to just 28% who pull inspiration from social media.
AT&T Business 2025 Holiday Shopping Survey results. | Image by AT&T
The image from the survey breaks down even more insights – like the fact that 67% shop small because they want to support their local economy. Another stat that stands out: 65% of people say they’re more likely to call a small business when they have questions, while only 35% would pick up the phone for a large retailer.
But the part that caught my attention the most is how people search for gift ideas. Most US shoppers (58%) still lean on old-school online search tools, while only 9% say they’re likely to use AI to find holiday gifts. And that feels a bit ironic, especially when you see how aggressively big tech is trying to push AI-powered shopping on us.I mean, just in the last couple of days, OpenAI rolled out ChatGPT’s new “shopping research” feature, and its rival Perplexity AI announced its own version of an AI shopping tool. Google is also loading Search with AI-driven product suggestions through its Search AI Mode. But clearly, the hype isn’t there for most people – at least not yet.
Still, the AT&T report isn’t only about where we shop. A big part of it focuses on how small businesses can stay afloat and improve their operations during the holiday rush. And naturally, the carrier highlights some of its own tools here.
For example, AT&T Connected Retail – part of the broader AT&T Connected Spaces platform – lets small stores use data insights to turn their space into a smarter shopping environment. That can mean more conversions, fewer operational headaches, and a smoother experience for customers. And reliability matters too, which is why AT&T pushes advanced connectivity as another way small businesses can stay competitive.
AT&T leans toward business users a lot
AT&T has been putting plenty of energy into business-focused solutions for a while now. From launching new security solutions to integrating AI into its network to creating tech like Express Waves – a fiber solution built to boost performance for cloud, AI, and edge workloads – the carrier always seems to be targeting the business segment pretty aggressively.So it’s not exactly surprising that small businesses rate AT&T highly in terms of satisfaction.
Of course, the other two big carriers aren’t sitting out either. T-Mobile and Verizon also push into the business space every chance they get, usually with attractive offers or upgrades to keep those customers hooked.
My take
To me, the big takeaway from this survey is how much the holiday shopping landscape is shifting for regular people. On one hand, most of us genuinely want to support small businesses and find gifts that feel personal.
On the other, big retailers – and even carriers like AT&T with their iPhone 17 deals – make it really tempting to go for whatever’s easiest on the wallet. But what I am mostly glad to see is that even with AI tools everywhere, most Americans still prefer classic online searching or getting ideas in-store.
