Black Friday Set to Surge as Canadians Shop Smarter for 2025

Value-driven, meaning-focused, and returning in-store

TORONTO, Nov. 21, 2025 /CNW/ - With Black Friday days away, new data from the Retail Council of Canada (RCC) × Leger 2025 Holiday Shopping Survey shows Canadians are heading into the season with steady budgets, sharper planning, and the strongest Black Friday participation in years.

Holiday gift spending budgets remains stable at $975, but consumers are approaching purchases in 2025 with remarkable precision — researching earlier, comparing more deliberately, and treating Black Friday as the signal to officially begin their holiday buying.  And once they do, many intend to carry that momentum forward, stretching their shopping over several weeks to find meaningful gifts at the right price.

Black Friday Leads the Season

• 84% say Black Friday is their most important shopping day
• More than half begin researching 1-3 weeks in advance
• Buying doesn't end on Black Friday — it carries through December, with clear increases in activity as the month progresses. 

Value-Driven, Disciplined Shoppers

This year, consumers are more selective and strategic:

• 85% wait for sales
• 80% compare prices online
• 78% buy discounted or promotional items
• 57% say holiday shopping feels more stressful — the highest level in four years
• 44% would consider gifting second-hand for affordability and uniqueness
• 40% admit they are more impulsive in-store during the holidays

In-Store Continues to Gain Traction

• Shoppers are returning in-store for ideas and final buys, reinforcing confidence in physical retail. 

Gift Card Rise in Popularity: 

• 47% plan to give gift cards (up from 42% in 2024)
• People say gift cards feel more personal now — they give loved ones the chance to choose something that really matters to them.

Canadian Loyalty Holds — But Value Wins

• 86% plan to shop close to home
• 84% will look for Canadian-made goods
• But price remains the #1 decision driver, ahead of brand loyalty or location

Regional Holiday Spending Snapshot (versus 2024) 

• Alberta: $1,193 (+23%) — highest in Canada, promotion-driven
• B.C.: $1,129 (+26%) — strong spend, strong deal focus
• Ontario: $1,095 (–5%) — stable but highly price-conscious
• Prairies: $890 (+9%) — disciplined, deal-oriented
• Maritimes: $912 (–1%) — value-focused, community-minded
• Quebec: $620 (–20%) — lowest spend, most flyer-driven

"Black Friday is now the moment Canadians plan around — but their shopping stretches well beyond the day itself," says Kim Furlong, President & CEO, Retail Council of Canada. "Consumers are determined to celebrate, but they want thoughtful gifts, transparent pricing, and genuine value."

DOWNLOAD THE FULL SURVEY.(RCC Member-Only Report)

Media interested in the full report should contact Santo Ligotti at sligotti@retailcouncil.org

About the RCC X Leger Holiday Shopping Survey:

This extensive survey, the largest of its kind in Canada, conducted for the Retail Council of Canada by Leger, marks the 8th annual exploration into Canadians' attitudes and behaviors as the festive shopping season nears. The survey was conducted between August 5-25, 2025, in both official languages among a representative national sample of 2,505 Canadians aged 18 and over.

About Leger:

Leger is the largest Canadian-owned polling, marketing research and analytics firm, with over 600 employees in Canada and the United States. Established in 1986, Leger also owns LEO, an online panel, LEA, Leger Analytics, and Leger DGTL, a digital performance agency. For more information: leger360.com .

About Retail Council of Canada

Retail is Canada's largest private-sector employer with over 2.3 million Canadians working in our industry. This sector is a major economic contributor, generating more than $93 billion annually in wages and employee benefits. In 2024, core retail sales (excluding vehicles and gasoline) exceeded $508 billion. Retail Council of Canada (RCC) members account for more than two-thirds of these core retail sales and 95 per cent of the grocery market. Our membership extends across the country, embracing over 54,000 storefronts in diverse formats such as department, grocery, specialty, discount, independent retailers, online merchants, and quick service restaurants. As the Voice of Retail™ in Canada, RCC, a not-for-profit, industry-funded association, proudly represents retail businesses of all sizes, from small independents to large national chains, in communities nationwide. retailcouncil.org

SOURCE Retail Council of Canada