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Nov. 17, 2025 "Christmas presents, in this economy? How some people are shifting their spending": Today I found this article by Natalie Stechyson on CBC:
Hark, can you hear it?
It's barely audible over the sound of a zillion people muttering, "isn't it too early for this?" while sipping holiday lattes, but it's there: the sound of Christmas spending panic.
And this year's holiday season approaches amid
soaring grocery prices,
trade tensions
and economic uncertainty.
Which is why some people say they're planning a more modest Christmas,
whether that involves
spending less,
giving fewer
or more intentional gifts,
relying more on charitable services
or scaling it all down.
On social media, for instance, influencers and frugal bloggers are encouraging people to
"de-influence" their holidays
by forgoing the matching family jammies,
reusing Christmas decorations,
sticking with affordable advent calendars
and buying second-hand gifts.
"I can't afford the kind of Christmas you see online," said one U.K. money and family influencer in a TikTok video Thursday.
"It's not normal to spend hundreds just to make it look perfect for social media."
And in real life, some Canadians are preparing to buckle down. Becky Field, 34, who lives in Ottawa, told CBC News she's had to get creative with gifting after the expense of buying a second car so her husband could get to work set them back.
"With groceries at an all-time high, as well, gifts didn't really make it into our budget," Field said.
She's always valued not gifting in excess, but she recently decided to give only items that are thrifted or sourced from her neighbourhood "buy nothing" groups.
Her kids — three boys ages 7, 5, and 3 — started a tradition last year where they go to a thrift store and each pick out one gently used stuffy to give each other.
She re-uses paper grocery bags for gift wrap
and saves points from their "exorbitant" grocery bills to pay for gifts for others when used isn't an option.
"We don't want to purchase an item, even second hand,
that will be used for a short moment in time
then discarded
or passed along
— giving into that dopamine hit we all get with a gift,"
Field said.
"To us, this doesn't seem like a good way to make use of an ever-dwindling portion of our budget."
Canadians spending less on excess
Several recent surveys and forecasts tell a similar story. While they can't necessarily be projected as truly representative of the overall Canadian population,
the recurring patterns
across different surveys
from different sources
suggest the presence of an emerging trend:
amid rising prices,
many Canadians are planning to spend less.
A brand new report by Money Mart, for instance, says the majority of the 1,511 Canadians they polled via Angus Reid said
inflation will impact their holiday spending this year,
and more than a third plan to spend less
— especially on gifts.
Another survey by insolvency firm Harris & Partners released last Tuesday shows most respondents are preparing for a more modest Christmas,
with the majority saying they plan to cut back on Christmas spending this year,
and more than half saying they felt anxious about how to afford it.
"For a large number of people, there is simply less financial flexibility available," CEO Josh Harris said in a news release.
In October, consulting group PwC Canada's holiday outlook noted that the majority of Canadian consumers they polled plan to cut back to make every dollar count, "making hard choices about where to spend their money."
Gen Z and millennials, in particular, planned to spend less on gifts this year, the PwC report said.
More demand for charitable services
As Canadians feel the pinch, many charities are already reporting greater demand this year.
For instance, the Food Bank in Barrie, Ont., just launched a holiday campaign to try to meet the need as demand has outpaced donations.
In Edmonton, several local charities told local media the level of need has grown, and that thousands have applied for festive food hamper and grocery card programs.
The Salvation Army in Weyburn, Sask., is rolling out a "toy store" initiative that allows parents to select donated gifts for their children.
The Single Parent Association of Newfoundland and Labrador reported in October that 1,200 kids were already signed up to receive Christmas presents, up from 800 to 900 kids at most in previous years.
And in Winnipeg, climbing food prices have increased the demand for holiday hampers compared to previous years, with its Christmas Cheer Board receiving hundreds of calls within hours of opening last week.
"The unfortunate reality is that, that need increasing year-over year has become just an expectation rather than something that's a surprise any longer," Shawna Bell, the executive director of the Christmas Cheer Board, told CBC Winnipeg.
'Doesn't have to cost anything'
With consumers projected to spend less or with more intention, some businesses are adapting.
Costco, for instance, said it was cutting down on seasonal offerings
to focus on essentials,
according to media reports.
A number of retailers are rolling out early Black Friday Sales.
And IKEA Canada's holiday campaign urges shoppers to give people "something they actually need."
Reuters notes that toy manufacturers are rushing into the "blind box" trend as an affordable gift option.
Blind boxes are sealed boxes with a collectible "mystery" item inside, usually part of a themed series.
Some only cost a few dollars, making them appealing stocking stuffers.
This comes as U.S. market research provider Circana anticipates sales volume for toys may fall by as much as 2.5 per cent during the peak shopping months of November and December.
But for some shoppers like Field, the mom of three in Ottawa, it's not necessarily about the gifts, but the message.
"The economic situation we're in has forced me to get creative with gift-giving, but in turn, has reminded me what these seasons are really about," she said.
"Reminding someone
that they are noticed
and appreciated
doesn't have to cost anything."
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/christmas-budget-gifts-9.6977866
Dec. 16, 2025 "Canadians to spend an average of $943 for holidays, giving GDP a $11 billion boost": Today I found this article by Anam Khan on BNN Bloomberg:
The trend to buy Canadian goods is still going strong, with more Canadians planning to spend on local goods this holiday season.
Canadian households will spend an average of $943 during the holidays,
and about $553 – or 59 per cent– is expected to go toward Canadian goods and services,
according to a survey by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC).
This will contribute an estimated $11 billion to the country’s GDP,
and support 45,000 jobs,
the survey states.
“This is important, because this could really have an impact on the Canadian economy,” Pierre Cléroux, chief economist at BDC told BNN Bloomberg.
Cléroux highlighted that while
the spending amount is about the same as last year,
the difference is that 46 per cent of people surveyed said they’re going to be buying “Canadian” this year.
This comes amid the trade war with the U.S. and greater economic uncertainty in Canada.
The federal government’s ‘Buy Canadian policy’ officially went into affect on Tuesday.
The strategy aims to protect domestic industries
by prioritizing Canadian products
and labour
within federal procurement processes.
“Canadians want to support
the Canadian businesses,
the local business,
and that’s the reason why they’re shifting to more Canadian products and services,”
said Cléroux.
More than half of holiday spending, 54 per cent, is expected to go toward food and beverages, according to the survey.
It also states that Canadians are expected to spend
39 per cent on clothing and accessories,
34 per cent on local shops and restaurants
and 27 per cent on entertainment.
Businesses getting better at marketing
Cléroux said more businesses are marketing themselves as local which they didn’t find necessary before.
“Now they do because they understand that Canadians are looking for Canadian products,” said Cléroux.
He also said it’s becoming easier to identify Canadian products, because businesses are becoming more clear.
He also said ‘maple washing’, which is misleading a product as Canadian, is not a major concern, as it is thought to be.
How to support
Cléroux encourages Canadians to buy gift cards from a local businesses, if they are unsure about what to get.
“It’s a great way to give a gift, but also to give a gift that will have a positive impact on your community,” said Cléroux.
The BDC survey estimates that an extra $100 on the average $553 local budget can boost the estimated $11 billion impact to $13 billion.
It can also boost job creation from 45,000 to 55,000.
The crown corporation launched the Buy 5 High 5 movement earlier this year,
encouraging people to share and promote Canadian products.
Research from the BDC also shows that
spending $25 a month on Canadian products
can help create 60,000 jobs
and boost the country’s GDP by 0.7 per cent.
This is on my Dec. 2025 blog post:
"Aggressive discounts and patriotism drive Canada’s holiday shopping season"/ "Weekend online sales after Black Friday up nine per cent from year ago: Salesforce"
Nov. 11, 2025 "Aggressive discounts and patriotism drive Canada’s holiday shopping season": Today I found this article by Anam Khan on BNN Bloomberg:
Canadians are shopping with sharper intent and keeping their holiday gift budgets steady at $975 per person this year, according to a Retail Council of Canada survey.
https://badcb.blogspot.com/2025/12/aggressive-discounts-and-patriotism.html
The other 2 blog posts of the week:
"One in four entrepreneurs in Canada looking to sell or close their business: report"/ "Second-generation Canadians weigh the cost of carrying on the family business – and their parents’ legacy"
https://badcb.blogspot.com/2025/12/one-in-four-entrepreneurs-in-canada.html
"Pay high duties or lose U.S. shoppers? Some Canadian retailers forced to choose amid holiday sales"/ "Canadian retailer drops Canada Post as its carrier ahead of holiday season"
https://badcb.blogspot.com/2025/12/pay-high-duties-or-lose-us-shoppers.html
Léna L, Ascot Corner, Quebec, would like to know:
Do you like Advent calendars?
Yes 64.79% (2582)
No 35.21% (1403)
Juliet L, Deep River, Ontario, would like to know:
How much do you enjoy trying foods from different cultures?
Moderately 25.65% (1110)
Slightly 23.27% (1007)
Quite a bit 23.15% (1002)
Very much 18.58% (804)
Not at all 9.36% (405)
How to spot gift card barcode swap scams
- December 19
- News
- 1:54
Police are warning holiday shoppers about ongoing scams where gift card barcodes are tampered with so that scammers keep the cash value of the card. We spoke to experts about what to watch for while shopping.
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Dec. 26, 2025 Mistletoe Murders:
"Christmas store owner Emily Lane's sleuthing skills are put to the test as she investigates local murders. Despite Detective Sam Wilner's growing affection for her, Emily's enigmatic past raises suspicions about her true motives."
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32378211/?ref_=fn_t_1
This is produced by Hallmark and airs on Women's Network.
I have Telus, and if you go on Telus on Demand, you can watch this show until Jan. 12, 2026.
I have access to the 2nd season (6 eps). I just watched the first 2 eps of the 2nd season.
This is a "cozy mystery" where there may be a murder, but it's not really violent. They don't show the violence.
I also like Peter Mooney who plays the cop Sam. He was on the other Canadian shows Rookie Blue and Burden of Truth.
So far, this show is average.
