Tighter Budgets, Stronger Loyalty: Quebecers Lead in Local Holiday Shopping

78% will hold or grow budgets while focusing on Quebec and Canadian brands.

MONTREAL, Oct. 20, 2025 /CNW/ - Quebecers plan to spend an average of $620 on gifts this year — 20% less than 2024 and well below the $975 national average — but they're not scaling back the season. In fact, 78% say they'll maintain or even increase their holiday budgets, leading the country (73% nationally).

The eighth annual Retail Council of Canada (RCC) × Leger Holiday Shopping Survey shows that Quebecers are balancing tighter budgets with a strong commitment to buying local and sustainably. Many are prioritizing Quebec- and Canadian-owned brands and weighing environmental impact as part of their purchase decisions — reflecting values rooted in community, connection, and responsibility.

Quebec Shopper: Disciplined, Proud, and Purpose Driven

• Buy-local pride:
  More than eight in ten Quebecers say it's important to support Quebec- or Canadian-owned retailers. This buy-local focus remains a defining feature of Quebec's retail landscape, reflecting pride in supporting homegrown businesses and brands that represent their communities.
• Careful spending, meaningful giving:
  Even as planned gift spending drops to $620 (–20%), 78% say they'll hold or grow their budgets — stretching every dollar while focusing on gifts that foster connection and appreciation for those who matter most.
• Deal-driven and strategic:
  73% use flyers and deal platforms to plan purchases — far above the national average of 55% — and 87% wait for promotions, showing that Quebec shoppers are highly deliberate and value-conscious.
• Sustainability leadership:
  10% consider environmental impact when choosing gifts (compared with 3% nationally), making Quebec the most sustainability-minded province in the country.
• Gift mix with meaning:
  Quebecers plan to spend more on home entertaining (18%) and toys and games (14%), and slightly less on apparel (13%) and gift cards (14%) — reflecting a preference for practicality and shared experiences over excess.

"Quebecers are feeling financial pressure, yet they're the most likely in Canada to say they'll hold or even grow their holiday budgets," says Michel Rochette, President, Retail Council of Canada – Quebec. "They're approaching the season with sharper deal-hunting, a strong preference for Quebec and Canadian brands, and the country's highest focus on sustainability — a powerful mix of discipline, pride, and purpose."

National Contrast

Across Canada, planned gift spending averages $975 per adult, holding steady from 2024. Budgets are strongest in British Columbia ($1,129, +26%) and Alberta ($1,193, +23%), while Manitoba and Saskatchewan ($890, +9%), Ontario ($1,095, –5%), and Atlantic Canada ($912, –1%) remain stable. Black Friday and Cyber Week are expected to capture over 30% of total gift spending, cementing their role as the season's biggest buying moments. 

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

Attend the FREE Webinar on the RCCX Leger 2025 Holiday Shopping Survey's Findings
Join RCC and Leger on October 22, 2025, from 1–2 p.m. ET for an online session exploring key findings to help retailers fine-tune their strategies. 

Register here for this FREE event.  

Media interested in the full report should contact Francis Mailly at fmailly@cccd-rcc.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 65,000 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