Westwood Financial expects strong holiday demand for DIY, value-oriented home goods in 2026
XLY•Westwood Financial expects value-oriented home goods and DIY merchandise to attract holiday spending in 2026. The NRF forecasts holiday sales growth of 4.2%, while Adobe projects Black Friday online spending of $12.9 billion, up 9.2%.
1. Holiday demand outlook
Westwood Financial expects value-oriented home goods and DIY merchandise to attract holiday spending in 2026, supporting demand at grocery-anchored shopping centers. Supermarkets drew 47% of Thanksgiving-period shoppers in 2025, compared with 40% for department stores. At the Shops at Walnut Creek, Michaels visitation rose 9.5% and HomeGoods traffic increased 11.4%.
