Lackluster sales so far this Christmas season have left many retailers shaking their heads.
Several said the sales rush before Christmas comes later and later each year. Others said tariffs and higher prices have scared consumers, who are tightening their belts.
“I just have a suspicion that people are putting off shopping until the last minute,” said Todd Hays of Columbus Car Audio, OH. ” I think people are just being cautious, and hopefully they’ll realize it’s Christmas and start shopping here soon. Floor traffic is not what I’m accustomed to. Normally, it’s the two weeks leading into Christmas that are the big ones.”
Like others, he notes that the garage is still busy, but traffic is slow.
Ata Ehdaivand of Absolute Electronix, MD said, “I’m seeing a lot of project cars,” so people are buying a gift for themselves, but the normal gift-giving sales aren’t there, he added.
Others who cited a lackluster Christmas season so far include Ricky Smith’s Audio, LA; Car Tunes, MI; Mesa Radio, NM; Depot Auto Sound, NY; Tunes-N-Tint, FL, and Sound of Tri-State, DE, as well as numerous manufacturer reps and suppliers.
Sound of Tri-State is down around 8 percent for the season. Remote start sales have been strong, which helped audio to some degree, but larger economic factors are scaring consumers, said Mehdi Narimanian. “Obviously, the uncertainty still continues…unemployment is going up and the cost of living…” he noted.
Ricky Smith’s Alan Benit said, “It feels like people do their Christmas shopping all year round nowadays. We’re seven days from Christmas here, and it’s an average day.”
Of course, sales could pick up at any moment. And dealers said the week after Christmas is usually strong as customers are flush with gift cash.
Car Tunes, MI said a cold snap for a week helped remote start sales, but car audio is slow. “It’s just not the normal Christmas. We’re doing some big ticket jobs, but mainstream sales are soft,” according to Mark Constantakis. Other businesses he frequents, including restaurants, are also slower this season, he observed.
Two retailers we called on said holiday sales are strong: Norton’s Stereo, SC and Freeman’s Car Stereo, NC. Freeman’s Dave Wall credits the chain’s consistent advertising for bolstering sales.
Jimmy Norton believes Norton’s 40 years in the market and strategy of stocking up on inventory keeps the door swinging. “I think we’re just so old in this industry, they automatically just come to my store because they know we’ve got it.” He noted that other shops are frequently calling him for inventory, with one dealer driving over 100 miles to pick up a product. He said of consumers, “People are just flat too busy to wait [on products coming in]. It’s a convenience store mentality.”
Narimanian said he’s hoping 2026 will see improved economic certainty, which will ease consumers’ concerns and promote spending.
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We’ve had very tiny spike in sales this holiday season, but not really for Christmas gifts. It’s mostly been people purchasing for themselves. We have seen an increase in remote start sales as well, but most are for the vehicle owners, not many gift card sales, def need to maximize every remote start sale with 2 way and phone app On’s. Overall, the shopping vibe and season seem’s off this year. My wife and I went to Target, Best Buy and the mall Saturday night, weekend before Christmas and the places were dead!
I think this shift started years ago. 12V used to be something people bought as gifts. Now it’s largely people buying for themselves as a gift.
We used to have a dedicated wrapping station with someone wrapping presents every day — hard to believe that was nearly 10 years ago. The holiday rush just doesn’t look the same anymore.
I’ve seen a consistent shift from people buying gifts for others to people investing in more significant upgrades for themselves. Less remote start for the wife and more DSP amp and sub for me kind of shift.
Got a little rush of remote starts, some personal, some gifts, but it’s not crazy by any means here in central WI. Business feels pretty mild this winter.
In the ‘old days’, I’d have so many Christmas presents installs booked that I needed a spreadsheet. We’re now 6 days away from Christmas Eve and I haven’t had a single Christmas sale.