So far this week we’ve talked about how much consumers are going to be spending this Christmas, and whether or not they’re going to be fighting traffic, finding parking, and lining up in stores – or if they’ll be doing most of their Christmas shopping online. And while we have an idea of how much the average consumer is going to spend, we also know how much consumers are going to spend when that number is broken down by province.
Of all the provinces, Ontario is the one that’s spending the most this year. With the average spender shelling out $1,245, that’s a small increase of the $1,204 that was spent on average last year too. And while that might be a big number, it’s also Ontario residents that are planning the most on spending money on things such as entertainment and traveling, along with spending money on gifts.
Just behind Ontario is British Columbia, the province that’s dropped their spending down to $1,088 from the $1,326 that they spent last year. That’s just a dollar increase though, from what Albertans spent last year – $1,325 – from the $1,000 that they plan to spend this year; and over the $1,325 that the oil province spent last year. Some think this drop in this particular prairie province could be due to the fact that this area is still dealing with the damage from the floods; and increased expenses for homeowners could mean less money put aside for Santa Clause.
The amounts for Alberta nearly match those of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, as well. Last year these two last prairie provinces spent an average of $1,326.86 just last year – only $1.86 more than Albertans spent. And just like Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan will spend $1,000 this year.
Those in Atlantic Canada are planning on spending a good chunk of their money on gifts this year – $730 in total, while those in Quebec are planning on spending the least – $454. 20 per cent of residents in this province also said that they plan on lowering their spending this year.
