Shoppers aren’t buying, spending is down: survey

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The countdown is on and, with a week left until Christmas, many shoppers aren’t buying surveys suggesting holiday spending is down and malls are less crowded.

A poll from the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada predicts Canadians will spend 18 per cent less compared to last year and the latest numbers from ebates.ca suggests 62 per cent of Canadians find searching for gifts at the mall is their least favourite time of the holidays.

But shoppers tell NEWS 1130 that pollsters should be getting a lump of coal — they are battling Christmas crowds and still dropping a lot of cash.

“I don’t even know what I’m getting people yet,” says Graham who isn’t looking forward to starting his shopping this week. “And it’s even worse this year because we are just getting gifts for the kids and they all want laptops and stuff! I think we will have to team up with other family members and work things out with negotiations.”

When it comes to how much he’s spending this year, Graham feels the bills won’t be any easier to bear.

“Even though so many things in life are different, it seems like the amount of money required for Christmas spending is kind of the same as it’s always been… more than I would like,” he laughs.

Despite those holiday bills, a new survey finds Canadians still plan to splurge on Boxing Day sales.

In fact, RetailMeNot finds Canadians expect to spend an average of $215 on themselves alone during Boxing Day sales, which is more than they are spending on anyone else in their lives, loved ones included.

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