What you need to know

Virtually all Canadians are shopping for the holidays (93%). While Christmas is a primary driver of holiday shopping activity for consumers, retailers should be mindful that non-winter holiday celebrations such as Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day are also major shopping events that Canadians shop and plan ahead for. Canadians lean more towards home-based celebrations, meaning that food and beverage categories as well as home-centric activities that encourage in-person interactions will be top of mind. Although finding savings will always be a priority, the notion of buying for others and making a good impression will lead consumers to break out of their regular shopping routines. Consumers today are leveraging multiple sources in their quest to find discounts and learn about products, however, Canadians continue to lean towards completing their holiday shopping journeys in-stores.

Definitions

For the purposes of this Report, “holiday shopping” refers to expected consumer expenditures on holiday-specific items such as gifts, decorations, seasonal candy and other food, greeting cards and other expenditures.

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