More Canadians are shopping proactively this holiday season, searching for deals amid sky-high inflation and a high cost of living.
That’s according to a recent holiday shopping survey by Leger and the Retail Council of Canada.
“As we head into the traditional shopping season, what we’re seeing is customers shopping earlier, looking for discounts, looking for deals and looking for that value for their dollar,” John Graham, the director of government relations for the Retail Council of Canada’s prairie region, told Global News in an October interview.
“Traditionally you’d focus on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, the last couple days before Christmas. (By) the time we hit Black Friday, over half of Canadians will be done their shopping for the holiday season looking for the best value.”
The survey shows 88 per cent of Canadians will plan on shopping proactively to find ways to save amid the high cost of living.
Meghan Duffield, the visual merchandiser for Beyond the Alley Boutique, has also seen it in their Academy Road business.
“Many of our customers actually fly south for the winter – so the snowbirds aren’t around very much during the holidays so we have seen Christmas shopping starting,” Duffield said, adding they anticipate the majority of it being done sooner rather than later.
“I think most people will be done before Black Friday just based on what we’ve seen,” Duffield said.
The survey also showed that Canadians plan on saving this holiday shopping season, with 52 per cent searching for sales, 41 per cent shopping and planning in advance, and 20 per cent adhering to a strict budget.
Trying to make your dollar go further and last longer is something that is also pushing more towards second-hand shopping. Carjelo Delera, the founder and co-owner of Clothing Bakery in Winnipeg’s Exchange District, said that’s something they saw during the last holiday season.
“I feel like if it’s like similar to what last year’s was like, I think this year will be just as busy — or even busier hopefully,” Delera said.
Delera said more people are opting for shopping second-hand for both financial and sustainability reasons.
“Vintage is just better, quality-wise. If you’re spending 50 bucks on brand-new retail clothing, but the quality isn’t there, for them it’s a no-brainer: (spend) 50 bucks on something where the quality is going to last longer,” Delera said.
“I always tell (my clients) ‘It already lasted 20-plus years, I’m pretty sure it’s going to last another 20-plus years.'”
The Leger and Retail Council of Canada survey also showed an upswing in shopping local, with 82 per cent of Canadians highlighting the importance of supporting local, up from 74 per cent the year prior.
That’s welcome news to many Winnipeg businesses, including Beyond the Alley Boutique, which opened in the fall of 2021 amid the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’ve been so grateful to have a lot of support from our community,” Duffield said. “And we’ve been here two years and we continue to see growth, and we hope to continue to see that moving forward.”