Canadians plan to spend more this holiday shopping season: survey
A new holiday shopping survey is giving retailers hope that consumers are ready to return to pre-pandemic shopping patterns.
Retail Council of Canada’s fourth annual Holiday Shopping Survey found that Canadians are more optimistic going into this holiday season than last year, and are ready to get back into physical stores and spend more money.
“I think the underlying message here is that consumers are ready to shop," Diane Brisebois, President and CEO of the Retail Council of Canada, told CTV News Toronto.
The survey found that 30 per cent of participants plan to start shopping before November and 36 per cent during November — higher numbers than last year.
Canadians will spend, on average, $792 leading up to the holidays, with Ontario shoppers spending more — an average of $863.
While many will still order gifts online, the survey found there is a desire to get back into malls and stores to interact with retailers face-to-face.
"We are all feeling it. That we want that connection, we want that in-store experience,” Brisebois said.
The survey found that 63 per cent want to make purchases in-store, compared with 37 per cent online.
However, shoppers are still concerned about COVID-19 protocols and want to shop early to avoid crowds. Another reason to shop sooner rather than later is due to concerns about supply chain issues that could make some products harder to find.
More than half of shoppers also said one of the most important things they look for when buying something is a sale, which is why 43 per cent plan to shop on Black Friday, 35 per cent on Cyber Monday and 34 per cent on Boxing Day.
The council says one trend that shows things may be returning to normal is that sales of fine clothing, jewelry and footwear are all expected to be up.
This time last year, the top sellers in clothing were items to lounge around in, like sweatpants and pyjamas.
“We do know that people are buying clothes to go out, versus what we would call leisurewear, like t-shirts and sweat pants. That’s to the benefit of apparel retailers who suffered quite a bit during the pandemic,” Brisebois said.
Gift cards are always a popular present, but this year, fewer people are planning to give them. Only 16 per cent said they will give gift cards this year, compared to 21 per cent last holiday season.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Spike in 'violent rhetoric' since Oct. 7 attack from 'extremist actors,' CSIS warns
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.
Russia announces nuclear weapon drills after angry exchange with senior Western officials
Russia plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced Monday, days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine and Moscow warned that tensions with the West are deepening.
Summer forecast: What to expect as El Nino weakens
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Israeli army tells Palestinians to evacuate parts of Gaza's Rafah ahead of an expected assault
The Israeli army ordered some 100,000 Palestinians on Monday to begin evacuating from the southern city of Rafah, signaling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent and further complicating efforts to broker a cease-fire in Gaza.