The Retail Council of Canada predicts a busy holiday shopping season, especially for local retailers.
It's forecasting Canadians will spend more on gifts this holiday season than they did last year after surveying more than 2,500 people across the country.
"More consumers this year are planning to take advantage of holiday shopping sales than they have previously," said the council. "Black Friday is expected to be one of, if not the biggest, shopping days of the year."
Last year, the council said Canadians planned to spend on average $693 on gifts, but in 2021, respondents said they would dole out $792. In Ontario, the average budget was $863.
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Consumers face fewer challenges this year now that many public health restrictions have been loosened and more stores have opened their doors.
"Nearly two-thirds of survey respondents say they faced challenges last year due to items being out of stock, long delivery times, and shipping delays," continued a release from the council. "This will motivate them to start shopping earlier this year or to shop in local stores."
The survey suggests we'll spend the most on clothing. Food, toys, and personal electronics rounded out the top four items on the list.
"Canadians are ready to put the disruption of COVID behind them and are looking forward to returning to brick-and-mortar stores," said President and CEO Diane J. Brisebois. "They are buying differently than they were prior to the pandemic. While it is expected that there will be more in-store buying this year, the blend between physical and online shopping will continue to evolve, and consumers expect to have more choices in how and where the products they purchase are picked up and delivered."
The survey also said 30 per cent of consumers plan to start their holiday shopping before November. About 63 per cent of total purchases could be in-store, while 37 per cent could be online.
As for shopping locally, 78 per cent want to support retailers in their community, and 81 per cent believe it is especially important to buy from businesses directly impacted by the pandemic.
Not surprisingly, holiday sales, promotions, and free shipping could have the most influence on where Canadians shop, with half of the respondents saying it will determine where they spend their money.
The survey was conducted by Leger between August 12 and August 24 and has a margin of error of +/- two per cent, 19 times out of 20. It also gauged participants' concerns with holiday shopping.
