This yearB次元官网网址檚 holiday season boutique shopping spree will end with a surge of Boxing Day shoppers spending gift cards, predicts one Victoria mall manager.
In the wake of supply chain issues and health protocols, gift cards are king, Darlene Hollstien explained. In her role as general manager at the Bay Centre downtown, sheB次元官网网址檚 heard a variety of positions from retailers. But what sheB次元官网网址檚 seen with her own eyes is a bump in traffic and sales in some cases. Some of that, she attributed to the spread of Black Friday well beyond one day.
B次元官网网址淧eople have started really early this year and I think itB次元官网网址檚 because we were told there were supply chain issues,B次元官网网址� Hollstien said.
A survey by Pricewaterhouse Cooper (PwC), ahead of the 2021 holiday shopping season, showed consumers plan to spend more than last year and physical retail B次元官网网址渃ontinues to persevere.B次元官网网址�
Canadians expect to increase their individual holiday spending by 29 per cent with an average outlay of $1,420 B次元官网网址� still 11 per cent below 2019 levels. Canadians plan to spend 59 per cent of holiday shopping time in-store, PwC found.
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That jives with what Hollstien saw in November when the Bay Centre and its shops hit a historic note B次元官网网址� they sold the most gift cards ever in a month. The high gift card sales likely served as a great workaround for the occasional barren shelf. The supply impacts have varied, Hollstien said, with some shop owners reporting little impact while a neighbourB次元官网网址檚 shelves are on the lean side.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a boutique shopping experience right now. I never have a problem finding something to purchase,B次元官网网址� she said with a laugh.
If a shopper spots something they like, itB次元官网网址檚 best to snap that up. ThereB次元官网网址檚 no waiting around. She also suggested hitting the shops often as goods trickle in.
B次元官网网址淚 suspect weB次元官网网址檒l see Christmas trees in March and winter coats by July, but there is product.B次元官网网址�
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She also recommends buying local, as in locally produced. At the Bay Centre, the Market Collective, now in its second year boasts work from 130 different local designers and makers.
While the shopping vibe isnB次元官网网址檛 quite to 2019 numbers, itB次元官网网址檚 headed in the right direction, with some excitement exuding from retailers.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 progressively getting better and better,B次元官网网址� she said.
Hollstein expects the record-breaking gift card sales will maintain the usual busiest day of the year B次元官网网址� Boxing Day.
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