Okanagan Retailers Say Inflation Is Making Holiday Shoppers More Cautious – Okanagan

Many stores in Vernon, British Columbia, have festive merchandise and Christmas decorations on the shelves.

But with Canadians facing price increases for many daily necessities, the open question is how much will shoppers plan to spend on vacation this year?

“People are more cautious about spending money,” said Steflin Wilbrink, who owns the Wildflower General Store gift shop in downtown Vernon.

“They’re definitely looking more into making sure they’re really sure of what they’re buying, rather than just an impulse buy.”

At another boutique across the street, Polished Mercantile, the owner said business was noticeably lower than last year.

“You can’t blame people. Everything is so expensive everywhere,” said Lacey O’Neill, owner of Polished Mercantile.

“It’s kind of scary as a retail store owner.”

However, traffic is not slow everywhere. According to Lynella Henke, her toy store Vernon Teach and Learn was busy with bargain hunters during Black Friday.

“I think people pay attention to how they shop, but they also want quality products, originality, and things that are at the top of their toy list,” said Henke.

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A Holiday Shopping Survey conducted for the Canadian Retail Council found that nearly 60% of Canadians say they will be looking for more deals this year than ever before.

“When we conducted the survey for us, what consumers told Léger was that they became more focused on price and bargain hunting and were less likely to bargain hunt or shop. No,” said Greg Wilson. , Director of Government Relations, Retail Council of Canada, BC

However, BC shoppers’ vacation budgets are not as tight as in other parts of Canada.

Shoppers in British Columbia will spend $887 this year, according to a Canadian Retail Council study. That’s about $100 more than the national average.

Wilson said B.C.’s large budget is probably due to the state’s strong economy.

Two other national trends may also impact local retailers this holiday season.

“This year, a little more than usual, there are a lot more concerns about local businesses. 74% of survey respondents say it is important to patronize local businesses,” said Wilson. increase.

“Another interesting point is that we’ve seen a very noticeable shift in food and beverage purchase intentions this year. This means more people are planning more holiday parties and events. So they plan to spend a larger portion of their budget on food and drink.”

Retailers, meanwhile, say they are working towards adaptation.

“This means that we need to curate our collections more carefully and ensure that we offer the best possible products at the best possible prices,” says Wilbrink.

“Definitely try to spend your money locally as much as possible. It makes a big difference. We reinvest in our community.

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