The recently released Accenture 20th Annual Holiday Shopping Survey found that, rather than pulling back significantly on holiday spending, Canadians intend to shop more strategically, seeking value where possible and increasingly turning to AI tools to help stretch their budgets.
Key findings include:
- The majority expect their budget to remain the same as last year, while 21% expect a higher 2026 holiday budget and 23% a lower one.
- 81% of consumers say they plan to start shopping before Black Friday/Cyber Monday this year, up from 47% in 2025, to spread out their spending and stretch their budgets further.
- 44% plan to buy gifts at mass merchants and membership-based warehouse clubs.
- Deal-finding leads planned use of GenAI tools for the season at 40%, followed by comparing options (30%) and discovering products (28%).
For more and more consumers, the holiday shopping season is already underway, and the survey of 1,009 Canadian consumers points to steady spending this year. However, shoppers are becoming more deliberate about where they spend and what they prioritize – and are increasingly looking to Gen AI tools to achieve value from each purchase, said the company.
At the same time, it noted that its Macro Foresight analysis shows that Canadian real disposable income per capita in early 2026 remained roughly 6% below its pre-pandemic trend, a persistent gap that could leave some households feeling more financially constrained. And consumers are facing prices about 8% higher than they would have been without multiple inflation shock episodes since 2020.
“The tension between a willingness to spend and pressure on household budgets means we will likely see holiday shoppers buy more deliberately, prioritize value, trade down where it makes sense and time purchases around major promotional events,” said Suzana Colic, Managing Director, Retail Strategy & Consulting at Accenture Canada.
“Shoppers are recalibrating, not retreating. Value matters, but meaning isn’t being sacrificed. Retailers and brands will have to work that much harder to earn a place in consumers’ holiday baskets this year.”
Colic said Canadians are still feeling the effects of rising costs and remain focused on getting the most value for their money.
“In their search for value, consumers are increasingly turning to AI to support a more deliberate, strategic approach to shopping. Deal-finding is the most reported reason for using Gen AI tools this holiday season,” she said.
“We’re also seeing a significant rise in the proportion of consumers starting their holiday shopping early to spread out their spending and stretch their budgets further.”
The report said holiday shopping continues to build early in the season, with an estimated peak just before Black Friday/Cyber Monday. It noted that 16% of consumers said they’d already started shopping before August, nearly twice from 2025.
Accenture said Gen AI tools have solidified their place on the holiday agenda, especially when it comes to finding the best value. Value, savings and effort reduction drive expected benefits, with 31% saying AI will help them find the best value for their money and 24% saying AI will save them money on holiday shopping. Notably, retail loyalty sits much further down the list, at only 8%.
Financial pressure isn’t causing shoppers to abandon the season, but it is making them more selective about where spend creates meaning, value and overall confidence, said the report.
“Canadian income confidence remains low, with only 13% expecting disposable income to improve this festive season, compared to 16% last year,” it said.
“Among consumers who say their holiday budget will either remain the same or be lower than last year, 49% cite rising essential costs (rent, utilities, etc.) as the main reason for caution, leaving less room for discretionary spending.
“On average, Canadian shoppers are expected to spend C$717 on holiday gifting, down by nearly 4% from 2025. Canadian holiday spend will be spread across gift cards or vouchers (54%), food and beverage as treats (51%) and clothing and accessories (47%).”
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