It looks like Canadians will be pinching their pennies this holiday season compared to years past.
A new poll from Maru/BLUE shows more than a third of Canadians say they will tighten the wallet, compared to just one in 10 who say they'll be spending more.
"With the pandemic in mind much of this makes sense—but is going to hit retailers harder because the number one gift for this year is a gift card (43%) which, if generic, may hold back
spending until into the new year," a release from Maru/BLUE states.
According to the poll, those who live in Alberta and Ontario will be most likely to spend less.
The most popular gifts for Canadians this year — in order — are:
• Gift cards 43%
• Clothing/accessories 39%
• Toys 29%
• Food and drink 29%
• Books or e-books 25%
• Wine and spirits 22%
• Health and beauty products 21%
• Electronics (e.g., television, tablets, DVD player, music players, video game consoles, etc.) 14%