A new consumer survey highlights a spike in retail and e-commerce activity during what were historically considered off-peak seasons — revealing the emergence of new peak shopping busy periods for businesses and tax professionals to manage. The summer consumer tax survey was commissioned by Vertex Inc., a provider of indirect tax solutions.
While the traditional peak shopping season runs from Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve, retail activity has expanded beyond the holidays. Summer travel and recreation, back-to-school shopping and the Halloween rush for costumes have contributed to new off-peak periods of heightened consumer demand.
One factor driving this shift is consumers’ response to an unpredictable economic landscape. Concerns about price increases and product availability are prompting more than half (53%) of consumers to purchase items earlier to avoid rising costs. That same majority is also changing how and where they shop to take advantage of sales and tax-free savings, particularly Millennials and Gen Z.
These seasonal retail shifts are reshaping how businesses prepare for peak shopping periods. To maintain a frictionless checkout experience across in-store and e-commerce channels, automated tax technology is essential. The latest Vertex survey reveals why: during summer, 76% of consumers purchase summer clothing and accessories, 71% shop for summer hobbies, 65% buy sunscreen, 41% pick up beach gear and 34% purchase water toys. For businesses to remain compliant, the need for precision and speed in tax operations becomes paramount. Automated tax platforms reduce friction during merchandise transitions by ensuring every Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) is taxed accurately under current regulations while minimizing errors, accelerating product mapping and supporting compliance — making them essential to high-volume retail operations.
Other key findings include:
- Consumers want a blended shopping experience: 55% of consumers prefer to shop for their favorite summer items both in-store and online, outranking online-only shoppers by 34%, indicating that businesses must ensure efficiency and accuracy across platforms.
- It’s all about the deals: 69% of consumers shop during summer holiday weekend sales when many seasonal items are discounted, from flip-flops to fire pits. While great for consumers, these promotions can challenge retailers, making it critical to automatically update tax rates and maintain compliance.
“Consumer-facing businesses are already navigating a complicated landscape in 2025. They shouldn’t also have to worry about whether their technology solutions and tax tools are equipped to handle the influx of activity around peak summer shopping and seasonal promotions,” said Sal Visca, Vertex Chief Technology Officer. “Vertex supports its retail customers through all transactional peaks and valleys, so they can rest assured that whether they’re scaling seasonal promotions or managing steady day-to-day operations, they have a trusted partner ensuring every transaction and tax amount is accurate and compliant.”
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