Study: Christmas shopping, a provincial perspective

Western Canadian shoppers, particularly Albertans, spent more per capita in retail stores than consumers in any other province in December 2004, according to a new report.

On a per capita basis nationally, Canadian consumers spent $804 each last December. This was well above the monthly average of $555 for the rest of the year, excluding December. (Per capita sales exclude sales by the automotive retail sector.)

Consumers in Alberta spent $967 per capita in December, followed closely by shoppers in the Yukon and Northwest Territories. Residents of these three regions also had the highest disposable incomes in 2004, probably a major factor in their spending.

Consumers in the Yukon spent $928 per capita, while those in the Northwest Territories spent $926. Consumers in British Columbia were the fourth biggest spenders with an average of $846.

Per capita sales last December were also above the national average in Nova Scotia and Ontario. At the other end of the spectrum, residents of Saskatchewan, Quebec and Prince Edward Island spent the least per capita.

The report analyzes December retail sales by commodity as well as by province and territory using data from two Statistics Canada surveys, the Monthly Retail Trade Survey and the Quarterly Retail Commodity Survey.

Statistics Canada estimates of population for January 2005 were used to derive per capita spending in retail stores.

Christmas can be a make-or-break time of year for many retailers such as jewellery stores, as well as other big merchandisers such as toy, hobby and game stores.

For these types of stores, sales last December represented almost triple their average 2004 monthly sales. Sales in this single month alone also accounted for more than one-fifth (22%) of their annual revenue.

Similarly, retailers who specialize in sound and video recordings such as DVDs and compact discs also took in one-fifth (21%) of their annual revenue in December.

And that's not to forget appliance and electronics stores, and cosmetic and perfume stores, which relied on December for 17% of their annual take.

Overall, Canadian shoppers spent $34.5 billion in retail stores last December.

This was a big 6.9% jump over the same month in the previous year, and more than twice the year-over-year gain of 3.3% in the previous December.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey numbers, including related surveys, 2008 and 2406.

The analytical article Christmas Shopping: A Provincial Perspective (11-621-MIE2005034, free) is now available online in the Analysis in Brief series (11-621-MIE).

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Jane Lin (613- 951-9691), Distributive Trades Division.