Holiday Shopping Survey: Porch Pirates and Tariffs Threaten Gift-Giving in 2025

The holiday season brings warm moments, but it also comes with risks and headaches. Beyond dodging porch pirates and resisting the urge to overspend, Americans this year face another hurdle — adjusting their shopping plans in response to tariffs.

A new Insurify survey of 1,000 Americans explored shopping behaviors, as well as package theft and other hazards that could shape consumers’ approach to this holiday season.

Ninety-five percent of Americans plan to do at least some holiday shopping online, according to the survey. Online shopping carries the risk of package theft, especially since porch pirates are more common during the holiday season. In Los Angeles, police report a consistent spike in package theft each December, a time of above-average delivery volume.^[1]

Overall, 61% of Americans report they’re concerned about safety or security risks during the holidays, including porch piracy, break-ins, and house fires.

“Holiday risk is usually framed in the context of car accidents and travel, but homeowners are also exposed to specific types of property crime and severe weather,” said Mallory Mooney, director of sales and service at Insurify. “Taking on those hazards without adequate home insurance coverage can quickly sour what’s supposed to be a cheerful time of year.”

In addition to safety risks, Americans also face heightened financial risks this holiday season. More than half of Americans (54%) admit they usually go over budget on their holiday spending. And 38% have taken on debt because of previous gift-giving seasons.

Many Americans are already approaching the holidays with some level of economic uncertainty, amid reports of worse-than-expected employment numbers. In June, the economy experienced its first net jobs loss since December 2020.^[2]

Tariffs add another factor to the financial calculus this season. 

Insurify found that 79% of Americans plan to adjust their shopping due to tariffs. About 29% say they’ll buy fewer gifts than usual. Cutting back could make a big difference in savings — one analysis found that 78% of toy imports are manufactured in China, the target of some of the U.S.’s steepest tariffs.^[3]

Key Findings

• Nearly half of Americans (46%) have had a package stolen, and 32% say it happens multiple times each year. Of those who’ve had a package stolen, 30% report that at least one missing delivery was worth more than $500.

• 48% of Americans leave their homes unattended during the holidays, including 29% who do so for multiple days or nights, leaving them at greater risk of break-ins and package theft.

• On average, Americans plan to spend about $667 on gifts in 2025. Yet 54% say they typically spend more than they’d budgeted for during the holidays. And 38% have taken on debt due to holiday shopping in the past.

• Four in five shoppers (79%) say tariffs will affect their holiday shopping plans. Of those, 83% identify politically as left-leaning and 61% identify as right-leaning. More than one-third of shoppers (35%) will look for products less affected by tariffs, and 29% say they’ll purchase fewer gifts than usual.

Porch pirates: Nearly half of Americans have had a package stolen, with Cyber Monday shoppers at higher risk

The increasing popularity of online shopping means more Americans are having their holiday gifts delivered, rather than picking them up in a store. The change leaves shoppers more exposed to porch pirates, particularly during the holidays, when deliveries are more frequent. Internet search activity helps illustrate the trend, with queries for “report stolen package” spiking each December.^[4]

This year, Insurify found that 95% of holiday shoppers will do at least some of their shopping online, up from 89% last year. About 78% plan to do at least half of their shopping online, up from 71% in 2024.

Just under half of Americans (46%) have experienced package theft previously, including 32% who said it happens multiple times each year.

Porch pirates know that deliveries pick up during heavy shopping days, which may explain why those who shop on Cyber Monday are more likely to report package theft. About 49% of Cyber Monday shoppers have had a package stolen, compared to 40% of those who don’t shop on Cyber Monday, according to Insurify’s survey.

Those deliveries can be expensive. Most of those who have had a package stolen (82%) have lost out on a delivery worth $100 or more. About 30% said the most valuable package they’ve had stolen was worth more than $500.

Standard home insurance and renters insurance will generally cover stolen packages, but filing a claim isn’t always the best option. 

Unless the value of the package is well over their home insurance deductible, policyholders risk losing more money than they make. Additionally, policyholders should consider that filing a claim could raise their chances of a premium increase at renewal.

Insurify found that only 35% of those who have had a package stolen said they filed a claim. Among homeowners, that number rises to 41%. And 42% of Americans who’ve had a package stolen said they didn’t know that insurance would cover the loss.

Break-ins, fires, and more: 61% of Americans are concerned about home holiday risks

A little over one-quarter of Americans (26%) say they’re concerned about break-ins during the holiday season. It’s a busy time for travel, with 48% of Americans leaving their homes unattended during the holidays and 29% doing so for multiple days or nights.

Homeowners and renters can take steps to limit their chances of a burglary. Nearly two-thirds of Americans surveyed (65%) have some home security features, including 51% who have a Ring doorbell or other exterior camera. That’s an improvement from 2024, when 57% of Americans had security features.

Like with package theft, home and renters insurance policies generally cover burglaries. Some insurers offer discounts of up to 15% for homes with security systems.

Insurance policies cover some perils that worry homeowners during the holiday season, provided negligence isn’t a factor.

Holiday Season Home Risk	Share of Americans concerned	Details
Burst pipes	22%	Water pipes are more likely to freeze during winter months, often bursting and causing water damage, especially if homeowners are traveling and unable to respond right away. Home insurance policies generally cover burst pipes.
Fires from decor/cooking	19%	Candle-lit decor and holiday dinners contribute to the risk of a house fire. Generally, home insurance covers accidental fires. But policies generally exclude fires resulting from gross negligence or intentional acts meant to cause damage.
Slips/injuries on property	16%	Standard home and renters policies generally include personal liability coverage. If someone gets injured on the homeowner’s property, such as a delivery driver slipping on an icy driveway, this policy will help pay for legal expenses.
Damage from holiday lights/decor	14%	When installing holiday lights, homeowners risk puncturing gutters or shingles. Some policies may cover this as accidental damage. But given the low cost of repair, homeowners generally benefit from fixing it on their own, rather than filing a claim and risking higher premiums down the line.

Holiday shopping: 54% tend to overspend during the holidays; 38% have gone into debt from gift shopping

The vast majority of Americans (91%) plan to shop for the holidays in 2025. But some risk overextending themselves financially. About 7% of those who intend to shop for gifts say they can’t afford to do so — but plan to anyway.

Of the 9% who don’t plan to shop, 78% say it’s because they can’t afford to buy gifts. The majority of non-shoppers blame living costs, such as groceries (49%), rent or mortgage payments (28%), and home or car insurance (17%).

Just as the holidays bring home security risks, they also present financial risks for shoppers who struggle to control their spending. Nearly three-quarters of Gen Z shoppers (74%) say they typically blow through their holiday budget, and 42% admit to maxing out a credit card due to holiday spending.

About two-fifths of Americans (38%) say they’ve taken on debt as a result of holiday shopping, including 42% of millennials. In fact, about one-third of shoppers (31%) say they expect to take on debt this holiday season.

Other shoppers are aiming for a more measured approach. Aspirationally, a plurality of Americans want to cut back on their spending this year — 37% plan to spend less, 30% plan to spend more, and 33% plan to keep their spending close to last year’s holiday season.

Those figures vary by generation, with younger shoppers leaning toward spending more this season. About 47% of Gen Z and 45% of millennials aim to spend more on gifts this year compared to last year.

Despite plans to increase their shopping activity, Gen Z is still catching up to other age groups in terms of total spending. Across all age groups, Americans expect to spend $667 on gifts in 2025.

In 2025:

• Gen Z plans to spend $576.

• Millennials plan to spend $708.

• Gen X plans to spend $592.

• Baby boomers plan to spend $709.

83% of shoppers plan to buy gifts from Amazon this holiday season

For the second year in a row, Americans are more likely to shop for holiday gifts at Amazon than at any other competitor. About 83% plan to buy from the delivery giant, up from 73% in last year’s survey.

Looking ahead, 68% plan to shop at Walmart, and 48% say they’ll shop at Target this year. Target faces ongoing boycotts related to a reduction in diversity initiatives. Insurify’s survey found that right-leaning Americans say they’re more likely to shop at Target this season than left-leaning Americans (52% vs. 45%).^[5]

As for payment methods, 70% of shoppers plan to use debit cards or cash for at least some of their holiday purchases, while 60% of shoppers plan to use their credit cards for some purchases. Gen Z is twice as likely as the average American to use buy-now-pay-later programs, such as Klarna or Affirm (40% vs. 18%).

Insurify also found that 36% of shoppers began buying holiday gifts before September. But an early start isn’t always a good thing. Those who have already begun shopping are nearly twice as likely to say they expect to take on debt this year due to holiday shopping (45% vs. 24%).

79% of Americans say tariffs will affect their holiday shopping plans

Tariffs are an additional challenge for shoppers in 2025. About 79% of Americans say tariffs, which can raise costs for gifts and services alike, will change their holiday shopping plans.

America’s political divide shows up in the way people plan to approach tariffs during the holidays. About 38% of left-leaning Americans say they’ll purchase fewer gifts due to tariffs, compared to 27% of right-leaning Americans. Right-leaning Americans are more than twice as likely as left-leaning Americans to say that tariffs won’t affect their holiday shopping plans (25% vs. 11%).

On average, Americans who lean right expect to spend nearly $170 more than Americans who lean left ($762 vs. $593). Those who lean left are more than three times as likely to say they won’t do any holiday shopping this year, compared to those who lean right (11% vs. 3%).

Although right-leaning Americans are less likely to change their shopping plans due to tariffs, most (61%) say they have noticed tariff-related price increases. For comparison, six in seven left-leaning Americans (83%) say they’ve noticed tariff-related price increases. Among all Americans, 72% say they have noticed higher prices on goods due to tariffs.

Of course, consumers often can’t know for certain whether tariffs are the true cause behind a price increase, though negative perceptions of tariffs have led to heightened economic worries. An Insurify survey from May found that 67% of Americans expect that tariffs will increase prices on goods and services, while just 28% expect tariffs to help the economy in the long run.

The longer tariffs last, the more chance they have of raising prices on both consumer goods and even car insurance, which could increase up to 7%.

Tips: Protecting one’s home and finances during the holiday season

Homeowners who take a few precautions ahead of the holiday season can limit their chances of falling victim to theft, weather damage, and their own excessive spending.

• Homeowners can deter porch pirates by installing a doorbell camera. Whenever possible, homeowners should aim to be present during deliveries so the package isn’t sitting unattended on the porch for extended periods. People who shop on Cyber Monday are more likely to report package theft, so homeowners should consider doing their online shopping at other times, when porch pirates are less likely to be keeping an eye out for unattended packages.

• Homeowners should prepare their property for seasonal weather by cutting down dangerous tree limbs that could collect snow and fall on homes or vehicles. Avoid the risk of a burst pipe by insulating plumbing that is more exposed to cold temperatures. For the same reason, consider allowing faucets to slowly drip, as moving water is less likely to freeze.

• The holiday season is also a good time to brush up on the ins and outs of a home or renters insurance policy. Policyholders should ask an agent any pressing questions about exclusions or coverage limits. Those who plan on hosting holiday gatherings should make sure they understand their personal liability protection, for example, in case a guest gets hurt on their property. Homeowners should also review their insurance pricing and compare quotes from competitors to take advantage of savings.

• Holiday shoppers should come up with a gift budget ahead of time to avoid overextending themselves financially. Other psychological tricks to prevent overspending could come in handy, such as paying in cash instead of paying with a card and delaying one’s shopping until later in the holiday season, when they can shop more deliberately.

Methodology

The proprietary data featured in this study comes from an online survey that Insurify commissioned. The survey’s respondents consisted of 1,000 U.S. residents between 22 and 75 years old. Respondents were asked up to 15 questions about their home security and financial security in connection with the holiday season. The survey fieldwork took place from Aug. 13 to Aug. 15, 2025.

For media inquiries or questions about our study, please contact the author here.