Gathering around the neighborhood: Thanksgiving trends on Nextdoor [Insights from Nextdoor]

Thanksgiving on Nextdoor: insights for Advertisers

Thanksgiving is uniquely community-focused, with 70% of neighbors stating the holiday is highly important to them. Instead of just pushing standard ads, brands have an opportunity to tap into a high-intent audience that is actively planning large family gatherings, baking from scratch, and organizing their holiday grocery lists.

Insights from Nextdoor details a powerful, community-centered purchase engine happening at the local level as neighbors look to get people together.

The importance of the Thanksgiving table 

This cultural milestone translates into immediate, high direct-purchase intent for grocery stores, food retailers, and CPG brands. 

• 62% of neighbors plan to purchase specialized food or drinks when planning for Thanksgiving, 14% more than the general population.
• 44% of neighbors will bake something from scratch for the holiday, 18% more than the general population.
• 23% of neighbors plan to purchase alcoholic drinks for their celebrations, 24% more than the general population.

Hosting preparation and the primary household buyer

Hosting is a massive baseline driver for holiday expenditure on Nextdoor. 56% of neighbors will host at home this holiday season, and 30% will host a specific Thanksgiving gathering, dinner, or party, which is 20% more than the general population. To get their spaces ready for guests, 22% of neighbors will actively decorate their homes for the holiday, 27% more than the general population.

Because 72% of neighbors identify as the main grocery shopper in their household, food and beverage brands have a direct line to the primary household decision-maker. Big box stores are emerging as a major go-to destination for hosting prep during the holiday season, experiencing a 20% year-over-year lift. Additionally, while 85% of neighbors regularly shop at local supermarkets, a meaningful 26% rely on warehouse and wholesale clubs to stock up for larger family gatherings.

Thanksgiving advertising playbook: how to activate on Nextdoor

Bringing it all together, here’s how to turn these insights into action:

1. Frame your brand as hosting headquarters

With big box stores up 20% year-over-year for hosting prep and 22% of neighbors decorating, position your store or retail footprint as the all-in-one stop for both the table and the festive ambiance.

2. Win the main grocery shopper via private label 

Because 72% of neighbors are primary household shoppers and 67% are completely open to trying private label grocery products, grocery chains can heavily leverage store brands as a major seasonal customer acquisition tool.

3. Lead with action-oriented inspiration

An impressive 56% of neighbors say content on Nextdoor inspires them to take action, and 70% have discovered new products on the platform. Align your creative with physical behaviors, such as large-batch baking (44%) or party gathering (30% intent), to move neighbors from discovery to purchase. 

Source: Nextdoor Survey, US (08/2025, 10/2025, 02/2026)