Canadians Plan to Shop Cautiously for Holidays
Canadians entered the holiday shopping season with their budgets well in mind, according to data from the Retail Council of Canada and market research firm Leger.
The RCC x Leger 2025 Holiday Shopping Survey questioned more than 2,500 shoppers nationwide and found that their average planned gift spend is 975 Canadian dollars, which has held steady from 2024.
Seventy-three percent of respondents plan to maintain or increase their budgets for 2025, but that increase is more strategic and cautious, as:
- 85% are waiting for sales,
- 80% are comparing prices online, and
- 78% are buying discounted or promotional SKUs.
Gift cards continue to grow in popularity: This year, 47% plan to buy them, compared to 42% in 2024. Nearly half (44% of respondents) would consider second-hand gifts, citing affordability and uniqueness.
The majority — 86% — say they'll be shopping close to home, and 84% are seeking Canadian-made products. Price and perceived value still impact the final purchase decision, however.
Black Friday is the most important shopping day for 84% of Canadians, easily outpacing Boxing Day (55%).
Regionally, the western provinces plan to spend the most, easily surpassing the CA$975 average, while the easternmost provinces intend to spend the least. Regional forecasts and percentage of spending increase/decrease over 2024 include:
- Alberta: CA$1,193, an increase of 23%.
- British Columbia: CA$1,129, a 26% increase.
- Ontario: CA$1,095, a decrease of 5%.
- Prairies: CA$890, a 9% increase.
- Quebec: CA$620, a 20% decrease.
- Maritimes: CA$912, a 1% decrease.
