What to Buy in December 2026
December continues the shopping extravaganza that begins with Black Friday, but what are the best deals to focus on this month? Check out our rundown below for what to buy now, what's worth maybe adding to your cart, and what you should wait to purchase for the time being.
December 2026 at a glance
| Past Decembers | What to Watch in 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Top buys | Holiday decor, toys, card and board games, gift cards | Decor deals come early: 33% of December decor deals landed in days 1 to 7 |
| Big dates | Christmas Fri, Dec 25; after-Christmas Sat, Dec 26 to Thu, Dec 31 | Dec 26 to 31 held 13% of our December product deals |
| Average discount (deals we listed) | Sweatshirts and hoodies 59%, decor 52%, board games 45%, toys 43%, gift cards 20% | For these categories, it's reasonable to expect these discounts to return this year |
Hold off on: Fitness equipment and health items as we'll see better deals on these items in January.
Christmas Shipping Deadlines
When it comes to Christmas shipping deadlines, these are dates where particular carriers or individual retailers state are cutoffs for delivery by Christmas Eve. Whatever holiday you celebrate, they're an important factor to keep in mind when shopping online. While the specific dates can vary at specific stores, the below tables provide a good estimate of the best times to have your shopping done.
USPS Christmas Shipping Deadlines
| Domestic Mail Class/Product | Date (excluding AK and HI) |
|---|---|
| USPS Ground Advantage | December 17 |
| First-Class Mail | December 17 |
| Priority Mail | December 18 |
| Priority Mail Express | December 19 |
FedEx Christmas Shipping Deadlines
| FedEx Package Services | Date (excluding AK & HI) |
|---|---|
| FedEx Ground Economy | December 15 |
| FedEx Express Saver | December 21 |
| FedEx 2Day FedEx 2Day AM |
December 22 |
There are a wide variety of other FedEx services available for shipping, but time frames can vary based on shipping and delivery locations. FedEx Home Delivery and FedEx Ground, for instance, have cutoff dates of December 17 and 18 depending on the number of days in transit. Things like FedEx First Overnight, FedEx Priority Overnight, FedEx Standard Overnight, and Extra Hours have a cutoff date of December 23; that said, I would be hesitant to rely on packages shipped then to arrive on time, even with that estimation. FedEx SameDay is also available for December 24, but again, not something I would rely on if you need to get an item quickly.
UPS Christmas Shipping Deadlines
| Shipping Service | Date |
|---|---|
| UPS 3 Day Select | December 21 |
| UPS 2nd Day Air | December 22 |
| UPS Next Day Air | December 23 |
UPS Ground is also available for shipping, but the cutoff dates may vary more there. The site itself advises customers to check locally for specific deadlines. As with the FedEx dates above, I'd caution against relying on these last-minute services to get your items delivered on time, even with a guarantee. Delays happen for a myriad of reasons, so it's best to get your shopping done in a timely manner and then ship your items out as soon as you can.
The best things to buy in December
1. Seasonal and holiday decor
Why now: Decor is a big deal in December, which is when we publish 3.3 times as many deals compared to the rest of the year. While September through November can also carry holiday decor deals, if you're specifically looking for winter holiday savings, December is your best bet.
What to expect: The average discount on decor will be about 52% and about 29% of the offers should receive Staff Pick status. But it's also worth noting that we could see significantly higher savings right after Christmas. That's usually when discounts reach a peak of 70%, if not more. However, since historically 33% of the decor deals fall during the first half of the month and only 15% come in the second half, that could mean a smaller selection if you wait for the bigger discounts.
Lowest we listed:
| Dec 2024 | Dec 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial tree | $44, Dec 3, Amazon (4.5-foot pre-lit) | $62, Dec 2, Woot! (National Tree Company "Feel Real" 7.5-foot pre-lit) |
| Anything in the category | $4.49, Dec 12, Amazon (8-pack wrapping paper) | $2.50, Dec 30, Lowe's (GE 100-count LED string lights) |
Timing: After-Christmas clearance sales generally start as early as December 25, but if not they'll definitely be kicking off by December 26. In the last week of 2025, we listed a 6.5-foot pre-lit tree for $12 (December 30, Walmart), a 9-foot pre-lit garland for $5, and the $2.50 lights (both December 30, Lowe's). In 2024, the lowest deal we listed after Christmas was $22.
Who had the most deals: We published the most offers from Amazon (78% of decor deals in December 2024 and 2025), Walmart (13%), Woot! and Home Depot (2% each).
2. Toys
Why now: Toys and hobbies are big purchases in December because of the gifting that takes place during the holiday season. In general, we tend to publish about 1.7 times as many toy deals in December, which amounts to roughly 219 offers.
What to expect: Toys see about a 43% average discount with 28% of the published deals earning Staff Pick designation. Toy deals tend to be spread evenly across the month: between 22% and 27% in each week of December 2024 and 2025.
Lowest we listed: The lowest deal we published in December 2024 was the Nerf Pro Gelfire Ignitor Blaster for just $2 on December 19 at Amazon, while the lowest in 2025 was the not-so-wintry Bluey's Halloween Bingo Bat Costume Plush for $2.47 at Walmart, but that one came on December 31.
Repeat prices we listed: The LEGO Icons Poinsettia was $35 at Amazon on December 4, 2024, $33 at Walmart on December 28, 2024, and $32 at Amazon on December 12, 2025. A Pokémon 24-inch plush was $25 at Walmart on December 1, 2024 and $20 there on December 5, 2025.
LEGO: LEGO tends to be popular during the month of December. We listed 59 LEGO deals in December 2024 and 37 in December 2025. The most affordable sets were small ones at $5 to $6 in both years, such as the LEGO City Construction Steamroller at $6 (December 16, 2024, Amazon).
Who had the most deals: We published the most offers at Amazon (65% of toy deals in December 2024 and 2025), Walmart (18%), and Target (5%).
3. Card and board games
Why now: This is another popular toy subcategory in December and we typically list 2.6 times as many deals this month compared to others.
What to expect: The average discount for card and board games was about 45% with 24% of the published offers qualifying as Staff Picks. It's important to note that you may want to shop these items later in the month; historically 43% of the board game deals fell after December 21. Because of that, there's a good chance that the best offers we'll see will be in the last few days leading up to Christmas.
Lowest we listed (well-known titles): Catan at $19 (December 27, 2024, Amazon) and Ticket to Ride at $19 (December 28, 2024, Amazon), which was 65% off. In 2025, Ticket to Ride: Europe was $33 (December 2, Walmart). That's a different edition, but similar enough to give an idea of what kinds of prices we can expect on board games.
Lowest we listed overall: The lowest-priced items we listed in the card and board games category were the Bicycle Fyrebird Playing Cards set for $3 at Amazon on December 23, 2024 and similarly the Bicycle Poker Size Cards for $2 at Woot! on December 22, 2025.
Who had the most deals: Amazon takes the gold medal here as we published 85% of the card and board game deals from December 2024 and 2025 there.
4. Gift cards
Why now: Like November, gift card deals in December are valuable because of the bonus cards they're bundled with, not the actual value of the cards themselves. We publish twice as many deals in December compared to other months.
What to expect: Don't focus on the average 20% discount these gift cards tend to carry; instead, pay attention to the bonus cards, which are the element that makes these offers worthy. Often you'll need to spend $25 to $50 in gift cards but in return you'll receive bonus cards worth $5, $10, or more depending on the restaurant or retailer. Deals are published pretty regularly throughout the month and often these bonus card promotions last through Christmas Day or even the end of the year.
Repeat prices we listed: A $100 DoorDash card was $90 (December 5, 2024, eGifter.com), then $85 (December 23, 2024, Kroger) and $85 again (December 19 and December 23, 2025, Amazon). A $50 Fandango card was $40 at Amazon on December 1, 2024 and on December 23, 2025.
Deepest discounts we listed: One of the lowest prices we saw was a $50 AMC Theatres card for $29 (December 2, 2024, Giftory). For warehouse-club members, a $100 inKind card was $60 at Costco (December 3, 2024) and $65 at Sam's Club (December 18, 2025).
Who had the most deals: We published the most offers at Amazon (45% of the gift card offers in December 2024 and 2025), Target, Kroger, and Costco (7% at each store). One thing to note is that because individual restaurants and retailers will offer their own deals, there usually isn't one "best" store to shop for these items. Instead, you're better off checking with your favorites directly to see if they have any gift card deals worth shopping.
5. Sweatshirts and hoodies
Why now: As December is one of the chilly months in the Northern Hemisphere, it's no surprise that sweatshirt and hoodie deals are published about 1.5 times as much compared to an average month.
What to expect: The average discount for sweatshirts and hoodies is about 59%, with 42% of published offers getting the Staff Pick badge.
Repeat prices we listed: The Hanes EcoSmart Fleece Hoodie was $9 at Amazon in both years (December 25, 2024 and December 12, 2025). The Hanes Ultimate Sweatshirt went from $11 (December 5 and December 17, 2024) to $9 (December 17, 2025), both at Amazon. The Under Armour Armour Fleece Big Logo Hoodie was $19 (December 4 and 9, 2024) and $20 (December 18, 2025) at Under Armour.
Lowest we listed: The lowest deal we published was the Eddie Bauer Women's Raglan Sweatshirt for $8 on December 2, 2024 at Proozy. In 2025, the lowest we listed was a Disney Women's Character Full-Zip Hoodie for just $3.81 at Sam's Club on December 27.
Who had the most deals: We published the most deals at Amazon (31% of offers in December 2024 and 2025), Proozy (18%), and eBay (12%).
Also worth watching
| Item | What we saw | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Digital picture frames | These have been popular three out of the four years we looked at with 2.4 times as many deals published compared to other months. However, that might only equal about six offers in a typical December. | They have an average discount of 48% off with about 30% of the published deals being Staff Picks. Within this category, the lowest we listed was the Frameo 10.1-inch for $29 (Dec 16, 2024, Amazon) and Aluratek 10-inch for $40 (Dec 5, 2025, Best Buy). |
| Remote-control vehicles | This toy subcategory was popular in three out of the four years we looked at, with about 2.7 times as many deals published in December compared to an average month. | These items averaged 49% off, with about 36% of the deals receiving Staff Pick status. |
Shopping events calendar
| Date | Event | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Tue, Dec 1 | Cyber Week (Cyber Monday is Mon, Nov 30 this year) | Seasonal/holiday decor, with a third of December decor deals landing in days 1 to 7 |
| Tue, Dec 22 to Thu, Dec 24 | Last days before Christmas | Board games with 30% of December board game deals falling Dec 22 to 24 in 2024 and 2025 |
| Fri, Dec 25 | Christmas | Gift cards for late gifts; we listed $100 DoorDash cards at $85 on Dec 23 in both years |
| Sat, Dec 26 to Thu, Dec 31 | After Christmas | Coats with about 20% of coat deals during this time frame; decor clearance in 2025 (lights at $2.50, a 6.5-foot tree at $12); board games like Catan and Ticket to Ride at $19 on Dec 27 and 28, 2024 |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | New Year's Day | Sales begin on fitness equipment, health and supplements, pet food, coats |
What to hold off on
While we might see some deals for the categories below, overall December isn't the best month to buy them. Either discounts are lackluster or there aren't enough published to suggest they're worthy of adding to cart right now.
| Item | When to buy | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise equipment and spin bikes | January | More deals on these items are common because of the trend of making resolutions for the new year related to health and wellness |
| Health and supplements | January | This is another one related to resolutions and something retailers will offer deep discounts on starting January 1. |
| Chocolates | February | It should come as no surprise that February is big for chocolates since that's when Valentine's Day falls and chocolate is a huge product for the holiday |
Methodology: How I Made This Guide
I created this guide by diving into all the deals we listed in December for the years 2022 through 2025 to develop an accurate picture of what to expect. I evaluated data for each category and determined that those we listed more deals for during December for at least three of the four years were worth highlighting now.
For lowest prices, those come directly from our archives for December 2024 and December 2025 specifically. Since prices have changed drastically in many cases, I prefer to list the past two years for the most accurate picture of what to expect. Discounts were determined based on the list price of items at the time the deals were written.
The number of deals is based on those we listed and since we choose what's worth publishing, these offers reflect the editorial choices of the team overall as well as activity at particular retailers.
I've spent more than 10 years helping shoppers time their purchases right — from KitchenAid mixers and patio furniture to beauty must-haves and renter-friendly home finds. My savings expertise has been repeatedly featured in AARP, CNBC, and even Good Morning America.
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