Halloween is not yet in the rearview mirror, but a lot of people are already starting to think about their Christmas holiday spending. The Retail Council of Canada attributes that to a “hangover” from the COVID pandemic.
The council recently released its holiday spending survey.
Atlantic Director Jim Cormier says an effect of the pandemic was that people wanted to plan ahead and get their shopping done earlier – largely due to supply chain issues.
He says that’s no longer an issue, but the mentality remains.
According to Cormier, people plan to get out earlier, watch their budgets, and look for deals.
Generally, he says Canadians will be spending over $970 per person, up by over $70 from last year.
In Atlantic Canada, however, Cormier says spending is down.
For the first time since he has been involved with the organization, Atlantic Canada is not number one for spending. He says a 19 per cent – or about $200 – decrease in spending per person is projected for this year.
