It’s one of the busiest shopping days of the year and retailers say Canadians are clicking and buying at a strong rate this Cyber Monday. As deals roll in, many shoppers are weighing whether to continue to buy Canadian or simply chase the lowest price. According to a survey released by the Retail Council of Canada, the push to buy Canadian is still there as 84 per cent of the 2,500 people they survey ahead of the holiday season claim they will seek out Canadian-made products. Eighty-six per cent say they plan to shop close to home, but price and perceived value still drive final purchase decisions. “We’ve seen a bit of softening towards the Buy Canadian movement,” says Santo Ligotti, vice-president of membership and marketing at the Retail Council of Canada. “It’s not that Canadians are not looking for that, but this year, when we ask them about their holiday shopping overall, they said that price remains the number one decision driver for them.” At Maker House on Wellington Street West, owner Gareth Davies says sales since the movement have been great, but it has tapered off a bit since the holiday shopping season. “Year to date, our sales are up about 70 per cent over previous year sales, but November was maybe about 50 per cent up,” Davies says. “It may be trending a little bit backwards, but still good increase with the Buy Canadian movement this year.” Ligotti notes businesses the Council spoke with say there is a cautious optimism surrounding the holiday season this year, as local businesses hope shoppers will support local as they try to stay visible as big deals dominate the day.
