Canadians returned to stores to shop for the holiday season, according to the Retail Council of Canada.
Spokesperson Michelle Wasylyshen says they saw a slight decrease in online shopping, “People really like going to the stores to shop. They get to touch and feel the products, they get to experience the festive feeling, and they hear the music and that kind of thing. There is really a big draw.”
She adds this year, there was a return to more stability after the pandemic, “This is the first year in three years that we were back to normal, to a better degree but consumers were really looking forward to returning to in-store shopping.”
Wasylyshen says their annual holiday shopping survey also looked at consumers’ planned spending habits for the season.
“On average in Atlantic provinces, we know that Canadians were anticipating spending about $874 versus the national number of $790 so slightly higher. Even though people are concerned about their finances, they did look forward to celebrating with shopping, and they were just going to do so in a bit of a different way. They were looking for more meaningful practical gifts and those kinds of things. So still spending, but perhaps spending in a more thoughtful way,” Wasylyshen adds.
Canadians also got back to more in-person get-togethers to recapture that ‘festive holiday spirit. “The challenges of the last few years and worries over finances are very present, but Canadians are largely determined not to let this affect their celebrations this year,” says Diane J. Brisebois, President and CEO of the Retail Council.
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