Alberta consumer spending down in first quarter: Moneris

Spending in Canada grew by nearly 3.5 per cent in the first quarter of this year, but Alberta was not part of that upward trend.

According to Moneris, one of Canada’s largest processors of debit and credit card payments, spending in the province was down 0.72 percent in the first three months of the year.

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Albertans were spending over three percent less year-over-year on everything from alcohol and clothing, to entertainment and household items.

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Only restaurant spending was up, by nearly two per cent.

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Nationally, spending was up, but Moneris says growth is slowing, suggesting that 2017 may be a year of moderate spending compared with the last two years.