Why holiday shopping may feel a little different this year

The last-minute dash to finish the Christmas shopping list doesn’t quite look like it used to.

Malls in Waterloo Region were a little quieter on Christmas Eve morning than they’ve been in past years, but retail experts say, that doesn’t come as a surprise.

At around 11 a.m. Tuesday at Kitchener’s Fairview Park Mall, there were plenty of parking spots available. It’s a sign that maybe this year, the rush for last-minute gifts is no more.

“This is a dream, we can just go in and out and away we go,” said Paul, who traditionally gets all his Christmas shopping done on the 24^th. “You’re forced to make a decision, so if you don’t make a decision, then they don’t get anything. But I do have coal at home just in case I don’t buy anything,” he added, laughing.

Meanwhile, for shopper, Gus, finishing off his shopping was one of the final things on his to-do list.

“Christmas Eve is when I know I have to finish the shopping,” he said. “After all the cleaning and everything, I still have some more stuff to do, but the shopping…I always leave it for last.”

Even with both Christmas and Hanukkah falling on Dec. 25 this year, the halls of Fairview Park Mall were noticeably quieter a few hours after doors opened.

“It’s very quiet,” said Paul. “Usually we come and we expect wall to wall people, people to have breakdowns and everything else and this year, it’s actually really quiet.”

Retail analyst, Bruce Winder, says the smaller crowds of shoppers this year comes as no surprise.

“Consumers are buying online. The GST has made it interesting; the GST holiday is interesting. The Canada Post strike has put a wrench in a lot of plans, especially for small businesses,” said Winder.

Both the shoppers and retailers CTV News spoke with say numbers are low and that it is generally calmer in the mall for Christmas Eve.

“Last year, I would say there were a lot of people, there were a lot of students,” said a mobile device retailer. “Also, I would say because of the expenses and stuff like that, people are not shopping that much.”

According to the 2024 Deloitte Holiday Retail outlook, overall spending increased 10 per cent over last year, for an average of almost $1,500 on holiday purchases alone. But experts feel the reality of tough economic times may lead to signs of more ‘cautious’ spending.

“I think momentum is going to translate into people spending maybe a little less, spending a little more on essentials versus discretionary items,” said Winder.

Fairview Park Mall officially closes at 6 p.m. Tuesday and will reopen on Thursday at 9 a.m.

A full guide of what’s open and closed in Waterloo Region can be found here.