Boxing Day may be passé.
A survey conducted by Leger for Retail Council of Canada shows Black Friday is more likely to be the time many Canadians search for deals as the traditionally American retail holiday has now eclipsed Boxing Day as the best time to shop.
The numbers also found that nearly 20 per cent of Canadians are getting their holiday shopping started earlier this year with nearly 1 in 3 reporting they have already started.
The study, exploring Canadians’ attitudes and intended behaviours around the upcoming 2018 holiday shopping season found that about 40 per cent intend to shop and spend more on Black Friday this year and another 30 per cent plan to take advantage of deals on Cyber Monday. While 35 per cent plan to shop on Boxing Day, the survey found they will spend considerably less than on Black Friday.
The “Buy Canadian” message is resonating with consumers. A majority of Canadians (87 per cent) consider it important to buy from a retailer within Canada this season. More than 1 in 3 Canadians (35 per cent) claim that buying from a retailer within Canada is more important in 2018 than it was last year.
“The negotiation of the new USCMA trade agreement seems to have stirred national pride and the importance of supporting retailers in Canada,” said Diane J. Brisebois, president and CEO, Retail Council of Canada. “While our shopping habits appear to be shifting and becoming more in tune with our neighbours south of the border, Canadians are showing a greater interest in keeping our dollars at home this year.”
A majority of Canadians (66 per cent) plan to spend the same amount as they did last holiday season with the average being $675. Nearly three quarters (74 per cent) of this will be spent on purchases in-store with the remaining 26 per cent being spent online.
“We are very encouraged about online shopping in Canada and how its development is making our retail marketplace more competitive,” added Brisebois. “However, we are also concerned about the ongoing impact of Canada Post’s rotating strikes on eCommerce at this critical time and hope a quick resolution is found.”
The majority of holiday season spending, on average, will go to:
• Food/alcohol/sweets for holiday entertaining (19 per cent)
• Clothing (17 per cent)
• Toys (10 per cent)
Home furnishing categories (electronics/ appliances, decorations, furniture) are the top categories where less is planned to be spent compared to last year.
