Klarna, a global digital bank and flexible payments provider, has reported an increase in U.
S. holiday spending beyond traditional retail, with significant year-over-year growth observed across entertainment, experiences, and automotive products from December 1 through December 22.
This trend indicates a shift among consumers towards experiential and high-value practical purchases during the holiday season. Data from Klarna shows entertainment spending rose by 130% year-over-year, experiences by 115%, and automotive products, including vehicle maintenance and repairs, by 100%. These figures highlight robust consumer demand and the continued adoption of flexible payment solutions during a peak shopping period.
In traditional retail categories, Klarna’s data from online and app clicks between December 19-22, 2025, and December 20-23, 2024, reveals consumer preferences in the days leading up to Christmas. Footwear emerged as the most-clicked category, with popular styles including Nike Air Force 1 ’07, UGG Lowmel, Adidas Samba OG, and classic Jordan styles. Children’s shoes also ranked among the top three most-clicked categories, driven by UGG Kid’s Lowmel styles and youth-sized Nike classics.
Headphones secured the second most-clicked spot overall, led by Apple AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro (2nd Gen), alongside premium noise-canceling models from Sony and Bose.
Interest in gaming focused on console upgrades, with Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S models leading clicks, in addition to newer systems like the Nex Playground Game System.
Accessories saw steady holiday engagement, with shoppers favoring practical, everyday handbags from brands such as Michael Kors, Coach, Lululemon, and Marc Jacobs over statement pieces.
For fragrances, classic and giftable scents dominated clicks, with bestsellers including Carolina Herrera Good Girl, Dior Sauvage, and Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb demonstrating leading engagement.
Klarna is recognized as a global digital bank and flexible payments provider, serving over 114 million active users worldwide and processing 3.4 million transactions daily. Its AI-powered payments and commerce network enables consumers to pay through various channels, including online, in-store, and via Apple Pay & Google Pay. More than 850,000 retailers, including Uber, H&M, Saks, Sephora, Macy’s, Ikea, Expedia Group, Nike, and Airbnb, utilize Klarna’s solutions. Klarna is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker KLAR.
