Holiday shoppers are getting thrifty to save a buck

New data suggests more than one in two Canadians aren’t looking to spend as much on gifts this holiday season as they did last year.

According to a recent survey by Nanos Research, 57.4 percent of respondents living in the prairie provinces said they plan on spending less.

Additionally, new numbers from Statistics Canada show inflation held at 3.1 percent in November – and the price of goods in Manitoba rose by 1.8 percent year-over-year.

“People are struggling, people are more stressed in terms of meeting their daily needs,” said Sandeep Arora, an associate professor at the University of Manitoba’s Asper School of Business. “The effect of that will show up in holiday spending.”

Coleen Stefaniuk is a retiree and frequently shops at thrift stores because of the high cost of living. She said the financial strain has forced her to put a spin on her holiday traditions with friends.

“Instead of buying new gifts for each other we’re buying thrifted gifts,” Stefaniuk said, adding she’s been able to purchase several items she couldn’t find anywhere else.

“There’s so many awesome values at the thrift store,” said seasoned thrift store shopper Veronica Walsh. “You can buy stuff that’s brand new, stuff that’s barely used.”

Walsh said while she doesn’t typically spend a lot of money at Christmas time, she thrifts gifts and tries to support local charities and markets.

“It keeps the money in the community,” Walsh said.

The Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) has 16 non-profit thrift shop franchises across the province. The organization said it has recently seen an increase in customers, especially in the lead-up to the holidays.

“People are trying to stretch their dollar and they’re doing that in creative ways,” said MCC Manitoba thrift coordinator Kristine Heinrichs. “Often that means looking at a thrift shop for items that maybe they would have bought new in other times.”

According to the MCC, normalizing ‘Thriftmas’ helps reduce the stigma surrounding second-hand stores.

“There are so many neat things that you can find that are getting a second lease on life,” said Lea Pawloski, the Kildonan MCC thrift shop’s chief operating officer. “In today’s society, we really need to think about our environment also. Plus, things are a really good deal.”

Another day for good deals is Boxing Day, set for Dec. 26. However, Arora said shoppers may hold back on non-essential purchases this year, or alternatively, make their one big purchase of the season.

“The purchase intentions over Boxing Day are higher than in 2022 and the reason behind that is that people are again waiting…so that they can actually get the same product that they’ve been eyeing but at a lower price,” Arora said.

“They’re stretching their dollar.”