Calgary sees increase in last-minute Christmas shopping

Article content material

Based on Avison Younger, the variety of last-minute Christmas consumers in Calgary is up this 12 months in comparison with the previous two vacation seasons.

Article content material

The Avison Younger Vitality Index exhibits that the variety of consumers going to companies throughout Calgary elevated on the Friday and Saturday earlier than Christmas this 12 months. Retail aisles, most related to areas frequented by vacationers, skilled a 131.5 p.c bounce over 2021 numbers within the weekend earlier than Christmas, whereas massive field shops noticed a 114.1 p.c bounce. Procuring facilities had the smallest enhance over final 12 months with a bounce of 84.5 p.c.

Article content material

Andrea Zviedris, a spokesperson for Avison Younger, stated that whereas Calgary did effectively within the two days earlier than Christmas, the retail areas within the metropolis noticed a slight drop in numbers in comparison with 2021 when evaluating the complete seven days earlier than December 25.

“AAll retail experiences have typically finished very effectively in last-minute Calgary this 12 months versus final,” Zviedris stated in an e mail. “The place we see a drop in retail foot site visitors is within the full seven-day week.”

Article content material

Retail aisles do higher earlier than Christmas

Foot site visitors numbers at Calgary retail shops for the week ending Dec. 19 present a 20 p.c enhance in retail corridors in comparison with 2021, however massive field shops fell 4.1 p.c and malls skilled a 19 p.c decline. Regardless of decrease numbers than in 2021, foot site visitors was considerably larger than in 2020.

Total, Christmas purchasing throughout Canada is up 95 p.c this 12 months in comparison with 2021, with Edmonton, Montreal and Toronto seeing the largest will increase. Final-minute purchasing in america rose by 47 p.c compared.

“We’re at a second in time the place tradition is driving foot site visitors patterns and the Vitality Index offers perception into what, how and when areas entice individuals,” Mark Rose, chairman and CEO of Avison Younger, stated in a information launch. .

Article content material

Small enterprise proprietor continues to really feel stress

The nationwide enhance comes at a time when small enterprise house owners have expressed low confidence within the financial system within the brief time period. Studies from the Canadian Federation of Impartial Enterprise in November confirmed that enterprise house owners’ confidence within the financial system was low heading into the vacation season.

Annie Dormuth, a spokeswoman for CFIB, stated the low optimism is anticipated to proceed into the brand new 12 months.

“From a small enterprise perspective, all of it will depend on whether or not the bump interprets to elevated gross sales from native companies,” stated Dormuth. “Heading into the vacation season, there was subdued optimism for small enterprise merchants that may proceed into 2023.”

The newest CFIB report exhibits there’s extra optimism in long-term forecasts.

dshort@postmedia.com