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SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — PayPal today released its 2025 Holiday Shopping Survey, highlighting how U.S. shoppers are approaching this holiday season and what merchants need to know to capture sales and build loyalty.

“Shoppers are moving fluidly across channels, discovering products through AI, returning to stores, and choosing flexible payment options like Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) to maximize this holiday season,” said Michelle Gill, General Manager of Small Business and Financial Services at PayPal. “Merchants that enable seamless experiences and deliver value at every touchpoint will not only thrive this holiday season but build stronger, long-term customer loyalty.”

AI is Reshaping Holiday Shopping: Merchants Should Take Note

This holiday season, shoppers are turning to AI to find inspiration and make purchasing decisions. Merchants that ensure their products are visible and optimized across AI-powered platforms will be best positioned to capture demand and drive sales in this AI-driven shopping season.

• AI is becoming a go-to shopping tool, with 40% of Americans – led by 61% of Gen Z and 57% of Millennials – having used AI to assist with a purchase in the past year, and one in five doing so regularly.
• Adoption is accelerating, as 77% of past or potential AI shoppers plan to use it as a shopping assistant this holiday season, underscoring the need for merchants to appear where consumers are searching.
• Holiday shoppers are turning to AI for value and guidance, with the top ways they plan to use it including finding the best deals (34%), comparing products (30%), and discovering gift ideas or recommendations (26%).

As AI reshapes how consumers shop, flexible payment options like BNPL are transforming how they pay, creating a smoother path from discovery to purchase for both shoppers and merchants.

BNPL Helps Shoppers Manage Cash Flow While Boosting Merchant Conversion

Once considered an alternative payment method, BNPL is now a mainstream expectation at checkout. BNPL has become a vital tool for managing cash flow and helping consumers shop with confidence and flexibility – while empowering merchants to increase conversion and average order value.

• Half of consumers plan to use BNPL as a flexible payment option for holiday shopping this year, citing affordability and budget control as the top reasons.
• BNPL is driving purchasing decisions, with 52% of shoppers saying they’re more likely to make a purchase when BNPL is available as a payment option.
• Gen Z and Millennials lead BNPL adoption as one in four use it regularly, and another third have tried it at least once, making BNPL a core part of how younger generations prefer to pay.

“Merchants can enhance the shopper experience and boost sales by making flexible payment options like BNPL visible throughout the shopping journey,” continued Gill. “When shoppers know they can pay overtime, they’re more likely to complete their purchase. PayPal data shows offering BNPL leads to a 91% higher average order value for enterprises and 62% higher for small businesses, meaning it isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a proven advantage to win.”

Omnichannel Returns as Shoppers Expect Seamless, Rewarding Experiences Everywhere

Shoppers are taking more paths to purchase this holiday season than ever before, signaling the true return of omnichannel retail. Consumers expect seamless experiences, meaningful rewards, and value – and merchants that connect every channel will capture both sales and long-term customer relationships.

• In-store shopping is resurging, as 64% of shoppers plan to shop in-store this holiday season, with 41% planning to shop both online and in-store.
• Online shopping still matters, with 28% planning to shop primarily online, underscoring that no single channel dominates the holiday experience.
• Rewards drive decisions where Americans shop as 74% are more likely to shop with merchants offering cash back or rewards.

Success this holiday season will hinge on connection, not just convenience. Merchants that unify rewards, online and in-store experiences will deepen loyalty and help fuel long-term growth. To help with this, PayPal is expanding Pay Monthly to in-store purchases across the U.S., and shoppers can also earn 5% cash back on all PayPal BNPL purchases, in-store and online, throughout the holiday season.

About the 2025 Holiday Shopping Survey

PayPal commissioned Talker Research to survey 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults online from September 5-9, 2025. Percentages for AI data reflect respondents who have used or considered using AI tools to help with a purchase within the last year. Percentages for BNPL data reflect respondents who have ever used or considered using BNPL to make a purchase.

About PayPal

PayPal has been revolutionizing commerce globally for more than 25 years. Creating innovative experiences that make moving money, selling, and shopping simple, personalized, and secure, PayPal empowers consumers and businesses in approximately 200 markets to join and thrive in the global economy. For more information, visit https://www.paypal.com, https://about.pypl.com, and https://investor.pypl.com.

Media Contact:

PayPal Media Relations

press@paypal.com

SOURCE PayPal Holdings, Inc.

Houston, TX – October 22, 2025 – The Halliburton Charitable Foundation raised more than $3.8 million through the annual Halliburton Charity Golf Tournament, which takes place at The Clubs of Kingwood. This year, the funds will support the missions of 100 nonprofit organizations that serve the community through educational, workforce development, health and safety, and social services programs. Since 1993, the event has raised $35 million in support of more than 250 charities.

It is remarkable to witness the meaningful impact this tournament has across communities nationwide. What began as a small initiative has expanded to support 100 charities each year. We are grateful to each of our generous sponsors whose contributions make the Halliburton Charity Golf tournament possible.

The following charities attended the event and brought awareness to causes that the Halliburton Charitable Foundation supports. The 2025 onsite charities were:

• All Ears Listening and Language Center
• Be an Angel
• BEAR…BE A Resource
• Brighter Bites
• Buckner International
• Camp Quality USA
• Children’s Assessment Center
• Coastal Prairie Conservancy
• Colorado Youth Outdoors
• Combined Arms
• Dress for Success
• Girls Inc. of Greater Houston
• Gratitude Initiative
• High Sky Children’s Ranch
• Houston Area Women Center
• Houston Police Foundation
• Hunt with Heart Outdoor Adventures
• Inspiration Ranch
• Kids’ Meals
• Medical Bridges
• Oilfield Helping Hands
• Recipe for Success Foundation
• Ronald McDonald House
• Texas Mission of Mercy
• The Council on Recovery
• The Landing
• The Montrose Center
• Trees for Houston
• Undies for Everyone
• YES Prep Public Schools

About the Halliburton Charitable Foundation

The Halliburton Charitable Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that strengthen the communities where Halliburton employees live and work. Through initiatives focused on education, environment, health & safety, and social services, the Foundation provides grants, donations, and volunteer support to make a meaningful impact. Since 1993, its annual Halliburton Charity Golf Tournament has raised over $30 million for more than 250 charities across the U.S., reflecting Halliburton’s deep commitment to corporate citizenship and community engagement.

About Halliburton

Halliburton is one of the world’s leading providers of products and services to the energy industry. Founded in 1919, we create innovative technologies, products, and services that help our customers maximize their value throughout the life cycle of an asset and advance a sustainable energy future. Connect with us on LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.

For Investors:
David Coleman
investors@halliburton.com
281-871-2688

For Media Relations:
Milka Horst
PR@halliburton.com
281-318-9676

The big picture: Paul Dickman, president of the World Council on Isotopes and chair of the ANS External Affairs Committee, moderated the event. After introducing the speakers, he kicked off the discussion by taking a broad look at why isotopes matter and why their supply chain is imperiled.

“Every modern society depends on isotopes, often without really realizing it. [Isotopes] sterilize 40 percent of all single-use medical devices, power diagnostic imaging, initiate nuclear reactor startups, and ensure the integrity of aircraft and turbine components. Yet this critical global system is fragile and growingly dependent on foreign sources,” he said.

In many cases, single facilities, or single nations, represent the majority of global production—leaving the world exposed to cascading shortages. The list of isotopes with vulnerable supply chains includes but is not limited to molybdenum-99, lutetium-177, actinium-225, iodine-131, iridium-192, and yttrium-90.

While each vulnerable isotope presents a unique set of challenges, much of the webinar focused on the supply chains of cobalt-60 and californium-252 as two contrasting case studies shedding light on the industry’s broader issues.

Cobalt-60: Co-60 is used for cancer therapy and sterilizing medical equipment. It is primarily produced in Canada, Russia, and China, with India and Argentina also producing part of the total global supply. Among those five countries, 20 reactors are producing Co-60—all but one of which are power reactors. So, there exists both “a diversity of supply and a highly reliable network in terms of uptime” which puts the Co-60 supply chain in a relatively healthy place, according to Richard Weins, director of business development and strategic supply at Nordion, a major radioisotope supply company.

Weins added that the positive change for Co-60 in the past two years contrasts a five-year period of relative difficulty. According to him, a reduction in Russian supply combined with an unexpected increase in demand led to increasing supply chain fragility.

These rapid changes, to Weins, reflect one of the key issues in bolstering supply chains: predictability. Development becomes more difficult to justify when investors don’t know if demand will grow by 1 percent or 10 percent in the near future—especially considering the long lead time and capital intensity that development projects require.

Californium-252: Ca-252 is a neutron emitter vital for reactor startups, neutron radiography, and oil exploration. In sharp contrast to Co-60, Ca-252 is produced in only two reactors in the world, both of which are research reactors. According to Samantha Schrell, a program manager at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, those reactors are the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at ORNL and Russia’s SM-3.

That small number of facilities is only one of many challenges that the Ca-252 supply chain faces. Schrell explained that Ca-252 needs a heavy feedstock, such as curium, which is itself a precious radioisotope with a limited supply. Demand is also increasing, thanks in part to the proliferation of new reactor startups, programs, and projects.

Schrell added that the already precarious supply chain for Ca-252 was put under further stress by the Russia-Ukraine war, an event that has introduced issues to the supply chains of many radioisotopes.

Go deeper: To learn more about the current state of the isotope supply chain and the path forward, watch the full webinar, which features further commentary from Steven Biegalski of Georgia Tech and Anikitos Garofalakis of OECD Nuclear Energy Agency.