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What Best Buy Says About Consumer Spending in Canada Right Now

By
Craig Patterson
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BEST BUY EXPERIENCE STORE, CALGARY. PHOTO: BEST BUY

Canadian retailers continue to grapple with a consumer who is more selective, more value-conscious, and increasingly deliberate about discretionary purchases. Yet despite ongoing economic pressures, shoppers are still willing to spend when products offer meaningful innovation, practical benefits, or a compelling reason to upgrade.

Those were among the key messages from Best Buy‘s latest quarterly results, offering insights that may resonate well beyond the electronics sector. The retailer, which maintains a significant presence across Canada through its Best Buy and Best Buy Express banners, reported first-quarter revenue of US$8.9 billion and comparable sales growth of 2 per cent. However, the most relevant takeaway for many Canadian retailers may have been management’s assessment of consumer behaviour. According to company executives, consumers remain cautious and highly focused on value, but they have not stopped spending.

“We see a customer who is still spending but is value focused and attracted to sales moments,” said Best Buy CEO Corie Barry during the company’s first-quarter earnings call. “While customers continue to be thoughtful about big-ticket purchases, they are willing to spend on high price point products when they need to or when there is technology innovation.”

The comments align with what many Canadian retailers have reported over the past year. Consumers continue to face affordability pressures, elevated housing costs, and broader economic uncertainty. At the same time, retail spending has proven more resilient than some industry observers expected. Rather than pulling back entirely, shoppers appear to be carefully evaluating purchases and prioritizing products they view as necessary, useful, or worth the investment.

Image: Best Buy Canada Ltd

Technology Categories Continue to Show Strength

Best Buy’s strongest performance came from computing, mobile phones, gaming, and services. Chief Financial and Strategy Officer Matthew Bilunas said computing delivered its ninth consecutive quarter of comparable sales growth, while mobile phones recorded a fifth straight quarter of gains. Gaming also performed better than expected during the quarter.

The strength of those categories suggests consumers remain willing to spend on products that play an important role in their daily lives. Whether for work, communication, entertainment, or education, technology continues to be an area where many shoppers are willing to allocate discretionary dollars.

Replacement cycles are also contributing to demand. Many consumers who purchased laptops, tablets, and other devices during or shortly after the pandemic are reaching the point where upgrades are becoming increasingly relevant. Best Buy executives cited replacement demand as one factor supporting continued growth in computing.

The results reinforce a trend seen across much of retail: consumers have become more selective, but they are still willing to spend when they perceive clear value and practical benefits.

Consumers Are Not Rushing Purchases

One of the more interesting observations from the earnings call involved what Best Buy is not seeing.

Analysts questioned whether concerns about rising technology costs and potential supply chain disruptions were encouraging consumers to accelerate purchases ahead of possible price increases. The company said there is little evidence of that behaviour.

“It’s actually very interesting in our research around the consumer. We are not seeing any indicators that would say the customer is pulling forward purchases,” Barry said.

Instead, Best Buy described consumer behaviour as largely consistent with recent quarters. Customers continue to respond to promotions and sales events, but they generally shop within predetermined budgets and remain disciplined in their purchasing decisions.

That pattern may sound familiar to retailers across Canada. Many merchants have reported consumers spending more time researching products, comparing prices, and waiting for promotional opportunities before completing purchases.

Housing Market Pressures Continue to Affect Appliances

Not every category performed equally well.

Incoming CEO Jason Bonfig said appliance sales remained under pressure due to a stagnant housing market and an intensely competitive retail environment.

The comments are particularly relevant for retailers operating in home-related sectors. Housing market activity remains closely tied to spending on appliances, furniture, renovation products, home décor, and other household purchases. When fewer consumers are moving or undertaking major home projects, retailers often feel the effects.

Bonfig said Best Buy has been testing initiatives involving pricing, marketing, inventory availability, and delivery speed in an effort to improve performance in the category. The company has recently seen signs of improvement, although housing-related challenges continue to influence demand.

Innovation Continues to Drive Spending

If there was one recurring theme throughout the earnings call, it was the continued importance of innovation.

Best Buy reported strong growth in several emerging categories, including AI glasses, health rings, handheld gaming devices, 3D printers, and collectibles. Combined sales for those categories doubled compared with the same period a year earlier.

The results support management’s view that consumers remain willing to spend when they encounter products that offer meaningful new capabilities or experiences. In a retail environment where shoppers are scrutinizing purchases more carefully, innovation can provide a powerful reason to buy.

For retailers, that lesson extends beyond technology. Whether through new products, enhanced services, or improved customer experiences, businesses that can clearly communicate value and differentiation may be better positioned to capture consumer spending.

What Retailers Can Take Away

Best Buy’s latest quarter offers a useful reminder that consumer caution does not necessarily mean consumer retreat.

Shoppers remain focused on value. They are comparing options, watching their budgets, and taking more time to make purchasing decisions. Yet they continue to spend when they believe a product or service delivers meaningful benefits.

For Canadian retailers, the challenge is increasingly about earning those dollars rather than simply waiting for consumer confidence to return. Success may depend on delivering a convincing combination of value, innovation, relevance, and practical utility.

Best Buy’s experience suggests that consumers are still spending. They are simply becoming more intentional about where they spend and what they choose to buy.

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Walmart+ membership launched in Canada

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Walmart Canada store. Photo: Getty Images

 Walmart Canada announced Thursday the launch of Walmart+, what it describes as a first-of-its-kind membership program that goes beyond delivery for Canadians, bringing together unlimited same-day delivery from store, free shipping with no order minimum from Walmart.ca and a subscription to Crave – for $8.97 per month or $89 annually.

The retailer said Canada is the first Walmart market outside of the United States to launch the membership. It said the program offers everything customers love about Delivery Pass, which launched at the same everyday low price of $89 in 2023, plus more. Existing Delivery Pass members will automatically become Walmart+ members.

Catherine Theberge-Conner
Catherine Theberge-Conner

“Walmart+ is a game-changer for Canadians, especially the busy families who rely on our everyday low prices,” said Catherine Theberge-Conner, Head of Membership, Walmart Canada.

She said Canadians will be able to access a unique membership offering that combines unlimited grocery and general merchandise delivery with benefits beyond retail.

At launch, benefits include:

  • Unlimited free same-day delivery from store on orders over $35, at the same everyday low prices available in our stores. Members even save on Express Delivery, which arrives in 2 hours or less.
  • Free shipping with no order minimum on thousands of items from Walmart.ca and the Walmart app.
  • A subscription to Crave Standard with Ads: From acclaimed Crave Originals like Heated Rivalry, Project Runway Canada, and Shoresy, to exclusive HBO and Max Originals, popular CTV and Noovo series, blockbuster films and more, it’s is the only membership to offer Crave as an embedded benefit at no additional cost. Plus, members can access select live sports, including competitions from marquee leagues across Canada and around the world.

“Crave is built around bringing Canadians premium entertainment that fits naturally into their everyday lives,” said Steve Cummings, Vice President, Subscription Sales and Partnerships, Bell Media. “Through Walmart+, we’re making that experience even more accessible by pairing Crave’s premium content lineup, with one of the country’s most compelling membership offerings. It’s an exciting opportunity to reach audiences through a service that delivers value and convenience, every day.”

Andrew Go
Andrew Go
Steve Cummings
Steve Cummings

“For the first time, we’ve unlocked free shipping with no order minimum, arriving as soon as the next day, for thousands of items on Walmart.ca,” said Andrew Go, Vice President, eCommerce and Marketing, Walmart Canada. “This benefit is only available through Walmart+ and is going to transform how Canadians shop with Walmart, giving them even more convenience, value and flexibility every day.”

The retailer has more than 400 stores across Canada.

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Jacques Pérusse and Daughter Scale Teaology Across Canada

By
Craig Patterson
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Teaology Display, Image: Teaology

For Jacques Pérusse, the beauty industry has never simply been a business. It has been part of his family history for generations.

Long before clean beauty became a global trend and before specialty beauty retailers transformed the cosmetics industry, Pérusse’s step-grandfather helped bring Lancôme to Canada in 1947. Years later, Pérusse himself would build a decades-long career helping launch and grow prestige beauty brands across the Canadian market, working with names such as Christian Dior, Guerlain, Roc, Bioderma, and Decléor.

Today, alongside his daughter Valérie Pérusse, he is helping shape another chapter in that story through Montreal-based Sovanic Inc., the company behind the Canadian expansion of Italian skincare brand Teaology.

What began in 2019 as a small operation run from Pérusse’s dining room following his retirement has evolved into one of the more notable clean beauty growth stories in Canadian pharmacy retail. Teaology products are now sold nationally through retailers including Shoppers Drug Mart, Rexall, London Drugs, Jean Coutu and others, along with Brunet and Familiprix locations across Canada.

Canada has also become Teaology’s top global market, according to Pérusse, even as the brand expands internationally into more than 30 countries.

“The beauty industry runs in our veins,” said Pérusse during an interview with Retail Insider.

Valérie Pérusse, left, with Jacques Pérusse

A Family Legacy in Beauty

Jacques Pérusse, Président of Sovanic Inc.

Pérusse’s career has closely mirrored the evolution of Canada’s beauty retail landscape over the past half century.

His father operated a beauty distribution business during an era when department stores dominated prestige cosmetics and fragrance sales in Canada. Beauty counters at retailers such as Eaton’s, Simpson’s, Holt Renfrew, Ogilvy, Woodward’s, and Hudson’s Bay introduced international luxury brands to Canadian consumers long before Sephora or online beauty shopping existed.

Pérusse joined the family business in the mid-1970s and later helped grow a portfolio of brands that eventually attracted acquisitions or Canadian subsidiaries from multinational beauty companies.

“We would build brands and bring them to a certain level,” he said. “Eventually, they would fly on their own.”

That long history in prestige beauty retail eventually laid the groundwork for Teaology’s Canadian expansion years later.

After briefly retiring, Pérusse reconnected with Italian industry contacts Paolo Bevegni and Cecilia Garofano, founders of Teaology. The conversations eventually evolved into a partnership to help scale the brand internationally, with Canada becoming a priority market.

At roughly the same time, Valérie Pérusse was returning from maternity leave after the birth of her two sons and re-entering the family business. The timing unexpectedly created a new father-daughter partnership that blended decades of beauty industry experience with a younger generation’s understanding of modern skincare consumers.

“My father has decades of experience in the beauty industry,” said Valérie Pérusse. “I bring a more modern, consumer-focused perspective, especially around clean beauty trends, social engagement, and how younger consumers connect with brands today.”

Today, Valérie oversees much of the communication and storytelling strategy around Teaology in Canada, focusing heavily on authenticity, transparency, and direct consumer engagement.

“We focus heavily on authenticity and transparency with both beauty advisors and consumers,” she said.

Photo: Teaology

Teaology’s Position in the Clean Beauty Market

Founded in Italy in 2015, Teaology built its identity around a patented formulation process that replaces water, typically the main ingredient in skincare products, with concentrated tea infusions rich in antioxidants and nutrients.

The formulations incorporate ingredients such as matcha, green tea, black tea, white tea, and blue tea.

“What makes Teaology unique is that the brand replaces water with tea infusion,” Valérie Pérusse explained.

The brand’s positioning has aligned closely with broader shifts in consumer purchasing behaviour, particularly growing interest in ingredient transparency, cleaner formulations, and sustainability-focused products.

Teaology carries certifications including B Corp, EWG Verified, vegan formulations, and Yuka certification, while also using packaging initiatives that incorporate sugarcane waste materials.

“Consumers are becoming far more informed about the ingredients in the products they use,” said Valérie Pérusse. “Those certifications help reassure consumers before they even ask questions.”

The company’s growth has also coincided with continued expansion of the prestige and clean beauty categories in Canada. According to Circana, Canada’s prestige beauty market continued growing through 2025, supported by resilient demand across skincare, fragrance, and hair care categories.

Teaology Display, Image: Teaology

Building Through Pharmacy Retail

Teaology’s Canadian rollout began cautiously.

The company initially tested the market through TSC before gradually expanding into pharmacy retailers. Early traction at Quebec pharmacy banner Brunet helped create momentum for broader distribution with Jean Coutu, Familiprix, Rexall, London Drugs, and eventually major expansion with Shoppers Drug Mart.

“We had to start slowly because we were newcomers to the market,” Jacques Pérusse said.

The pharmacy channel ultimately became central to Teaology’s Canadian strategy. Pérusse said the company intentionally pursued a prestige-oriented positioning within pharmacy retail environments rather than mass-market distribution.

“We want to be accessible in price, but we don’t want to be perceived as mass,” he said.

That strategy also reflects how beauty retail has evolved in Canada over the past two decades.

As department store beauty floors have declined, pharmacy retailers have significantly expanded skincare and cosmetics assortments, increasingly competing with specialty beauty chains and digital platforms for prestige-oriented beauty consumers.

Pérusse believes Canadian pharmacy retailers still have opportunities to evolve further, particularly around experiential beauty retail and curated merchandising.

He pointed to Familiprix as one example, noting that the retailer created dedicated “ethical beauty” sections focused specifically on cleaner formulations and certified products.

The Changing Face of Beauty Retail

Pérusse has witnessed enormous changes across the beauty industry during his career, from the dominance of department stores to the rise of specialty beauty chains, Amazon, and digital commerce.

One of the most significant transformations, he said, was the early rise of Sephora in North America.

Pérusse recalled that many major beauty conglomerates initially refused to supply Sephora when the retailer first expanded into the United States. As a result, Sephora relied heavily on smaller emerging brands to fill shelves during its early years.

“They became market leaders by turning beauty retail into a discovery experience,” he said.

He also believes the Canadian market still lacks enough beauty retail space following the decline of major department store operators.

“Consumers deserve more choice, and brands need more opportunities to connect with shoppers,” he said.

At the same time, he sees digital commerce becoming increasingly critical to the future of the beauty industry.

Teaology is now investing heavily into e-commerce infrastructure, digital growth, and Amazon expansion as consumer shopping behaviour continues evolving globally. The company recently hired new leadership focused specifically on accelerating digital business internationally.

Looking ahead, Teaology plans to continue strengthening its Canadian and Italian operations while preparing for future expansion into the United States.

For Pérusse, adapting to retail evolution has been one of the defining lessons of his career.

“You can never stop evolution,” he said. “You can only adapt to it.”

More from Retail Insider:

Charcoal Group pushes ahead with expansion as restaurant sector faces uncertainty: CEO Jody Palubiski

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Jody Palubiski
Jody Palubiski

The Charcoal Group is moving ahead with plans to open new restaurants even as economic uncertainty and rising operating costs continue to pressure Canada’s hospitality sector.

Jody Palubiski, a partner in the Waterloo, Ont.-based restaurant company, said the organization is maintaining an expansion strategy centred on guest experience, staffing and operational discipline at a time when some operators are pulling back.

“We’ve been moving through this period of uncertainty with many factors — tariff talk, economic uncertainty, rising unemployment in some areas,” Palubiski said in an interview. “We’ve been keeping a clear mind, like we have in other difficult times — COVID, the 2008 recession — taking the same approach we always have.”

The Charcoal Group operates roughly 20 restaurants under several brands, including Charcoal Steakhouse, Martini’s, Del’s Italian Kitchen, Moose Winooski’s, Wildcraft, Bauer Kitchen, Soleil Restaurant and Sociable Kitchen and Tavern. The company also operates 12 Beertown locations and is developing three additional Beertown restaurants and two more Wildcraft locations.

Palubiski said consumers are still spending on dining out, but have become more selective about where they choose to go.

“I think people are being a little more selective,” he said. “You have to be performing well and delivering excellent experiences. If you’re firing on all cylinders, you’ll garner support from the community.”

Jody Palubiski
Jody Palubiski

That focus on experience has become increasingly important as operators grapple with higher labour, product and service costs. Palubiski said restaurants risk damaging customer loyalty when cost-cutting measures begin affecting service levels or the overall environment.

“We hear a lot about shrinkflation,” he said. “In a full-service restaurant, that’s not just portion size. It’s not just raising prices because costs go up. It’s when you reduce staff, expand sections, delay maintenance. Shrinkflation is anything that impacts the experience.”

He said the company’s strategy has been to protect what he described as the three core pillars of hospitality: service, product quality and environment.

“It’s about maintaining and doubling down on those pillars, not pulling back,” he said.

At the same time, the company has been reviewing spending across its operations to identify costs that do not directly affect guests.

Palubiski said the company models expected increases annually across staffing, food products and services at each location before determining where savings can be found.

“We ask, ‘Where are we spending money that doesn’t positively impact the guest experience?’” he said.

One example involved branded takeout packaging at Beertown locations.

“We realized we were spending $40,000 a year on Beertown stickers for takeout packaging,” he said. “We asked, ‘Does removing that impact the experience?’ The answer was no, so we cut it.”

The company has also tried to manage menu pricing carefully despite continued cost pressures.

“You find several areas like that to offset rising costs,” Palubiski said. “Then you pass along some costs, but do it carefully, thoughtfully and respectfully. People understand prices go up — it’s how you do it that matters.”

While labour shortages have challenged many restaurant operators since the pandemic, Palubiski said staffing has remained stable within the Charcoal Group, which he attributed to long-term employee retention and recruiting relationships with colleges and existing staff networks.

“We’re in great shape,” he said. “We have a lot of long-term staff.”

The company also receives referrals from employees and customers, he added.

“It’s a great compliment when guests want their kids to work with you,” he said.

Palubiski described staffing as the foundation of restaurant operations, saying management attention shifts quickly when teams are understaffed or inexperienced.

“If you don’t have a quality team, that’s your only problem,” he said. “If you do, then you can focus on everything else — expansion, service quality, training.”

Jody Palubiski
Jody Palubiski

The company’s continued expansion has also become a recruiting tool, he said, particularly during a period when some competitors may be slowing development plans.

“People look at us and say, ‘You seem confident and optimistic at a time when others are holding back,’” Palubiski said. “That attracts guests, suppliers and talent who want to join and lead within the organization.”

Palubiski has spent more than two decades with the Charcoal Group after joining partners in 2003. The original Charcoal Steakhouse dates back to 1955.

Before joining the company, he worked in Toronto restaurants including Alice Fazooli’s, Al Fresco’s and the Loose Moose, and later spent time with Oliver & Bonacini.

He said he entered the hospitality industry as a teenager after getting a job at Rockway Fish and Chips in the Kitchener-Waterloo area.

“At 15, she gave me keys and responsibility,” Palubiski said of owner Hedy Hughes. “That environment — the teamwork, the highs and lows — and her belief in me gave me confidence and a desire to grow in the industry.”

More than 30 years later, Palubiski said the variety of responsibilities within the restaurant business continues to hold his attention, from culinary development and beverage programs to construction, real estate and finance.

“One day I’m with culinary teams doing tastings, another with beverage teams, then design, construction, legal, accounting, real estate,” he said. “The diversity of disciplines is incredible.”

He compared the business to conducting a symphony, with multiple departments working together to create a consistent experience for guests.

“There’s nothing like it,” he said.

More from Retail Insider:

Sustainability-focused retailer HG Vintage weighs growth opportunities across Canada

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Moe Khoja, founder of HG Vintage. Photo by Mario Toneguzzi
Moe Khoja, founder of HG Vintage. Photo by Mario Toneguzzi

Vintage fashion retailer HG Vintage is exploring expansion opportunities across Canada after moving into a larger space at CF Chinook Centre, a step founder Moe Khoja says reflects growing demand for second-hand apparel and the company’s cautious approach to growth.

Khoja, who launched HG Vintage in 2019 after decades in conventional fashion retail, said the Calgary-based business recently relocated within the shopping centre after operating for three years in a smaller location.

The move comes as shopping centre operators and landlords in Alberta and elsewhere in Canada approach the company about opening additional stores, although Khoja said any expansion will be carefully evaluated.

“We have other landlords approaching us to expand into their shopping centres, not just in Calgary, but also Alberta and Canada,” Khoja said in an interview. “But we want to make sure that we find the right partners that we can do this with and that it makes sense for us.”

Moe Khoja, founder of HG Vintage. Photo by Mario Toneguzzi
Moe Khoja, founder of HG Vintage. Photo by Mario Toneguzzi

The retailer currently operates two brick-and-mortar locations in Calgary — one on 17th Avenue and another at CF Chinook Centre — alongside an online store.

From traditional retail to vintage fashion

HG Vintage was born from a shift in strategy that emerged while Khoja was travelling in Los Angeles in 2019.

At the time, Khoja had already built a lengthy career in fashion retail. While attending university in 1989, he founded Hot Gossip Clothing and eventually expanded the business to seven stores across Alberta. Raised in South Africa, he was introduced to the industry through his father, Dolfie Khoja, who operated a large fashion retail business and exposed him to buying, merchandising and retail operations from an early age.

The idea for HG Vintage took shape after Khoja encountered vintage markets and growing interest in sustainability during a trip to Los Angeles.

“Basically, 2019, while travelling to LA, we came across the vintage markets there and the whole sustainability,” he said. “So we thought at the time that we would branch out from our traditional retail, which was Hot Gossip, into the vintage scene.”

The company was founded with a focus on extending the life cycle of clothing through reuse and resale, positioning itself within a segment of the apparel market centred on vintage and second-hand merchandise.

Today, HG Vintage carries a broad assortment of products, including denim, leather jackets, music-related apparel and other vintage items for men, women and children.

Moe Khoja, founder of HG Vintage. Photo by Mario Toneguzzi
Moe Khoja, founder of HG Vintage. Photo by Mario Toneguzzi

Larger store designed to support product assortment

Khoja said the decision to relocate to a larger space within Chinook Centre was driven largely by the need for additional selling space and inventory capacity.

The company’s previous location generated strong sales despite its smaller footprint, he said, prompting discussions with the landlord about a larger unit.

“We were upstairs for three years here in Chinook in a smaller space, which we moved a lot of product out of,” Khoja said. “Then eventually, the landlord approached us to see if we wanted to do a bigger space.”

The larger store allows HG Vintage to showcase a wider range of merchandise and improve the overall shopping experience, he said.

“For us, it was more about trying to get more product through here,” Khoja said. “We carry everything from band tees to Harley tees to denim to leather jackets, men’s, women’s, kids.”

The expanded space aligns with the company’s merchandising strategy, which centres on curated vintage inventory sourced from multiple categories rather than a narrow product focus.

“So the bigger space is kind of where we wanted to be, and it seems to be working out quite well,” he added.

HG Vintage. Photo by Mario Toneguzzi
HG Vintage. Photo by Mario Toneguzzi

Growth strategy focused on partnerships

While Khoja acknowledged interest from landlords seeking to bring HG Vintage into additional shopping centres, he suggested the company is taking a measured approach rather than pursuing rapid expansion.

That strategy reflects a focus on finding locations and partners that fit the business model before committing capital and operational resources to new markets.

The company sources vintage apparel and collectibles through curated buying efforts and has built a reputation around categories including denim, graphic T-shirts and other vintage apparel. As the business grows, Khoja said future expansion opportunities will be evaluated through the lens of long-term sustainability and operational fit.

The retailer’s ambitions extend beyond commercial growth. HG Vintage is also developing the Dolfie Khoja Charity Foundation, an initiative intended to support clothing donations and assist people in need, including Calgary’s homeless population during both summer and winter months.

For now, however, the company’s immediate focus remains on maximizing the potential of its expanded Chinook Centre location while assessing opportunities elsewhere in Alberta and across Canada.

“We want to make sure that we find the right partners,” Khoja said, “and that it makes sense for us.”

More from Retail Insider:

HG Vintage. Photo by Mario Toneguzzi
HG Vintage. Photo by Mario Toneguzzi
HG Vintage. Photo by Mario Toneguzzi
HG Vintage. Photo by Mario Toneguzzi
HG Vintage. Photo by Mario Toneguzzi
HG Vintage. Photo by Mario Toneguzzi
HG Vintage. Photo by Mario Toneguzzi
HG Vintage. Photo by Mario Toneguzzi

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour offers a preview of World Cup soccer spending

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Taylor Swift. Photo: Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP

Excitement is already brewing ahead of the FIFA World Cup soccer among fans and businesses alike. To understand the impact the World Cup might have on local businesses, Moneris, Canada’s leading commerce provider, looked at another large-scale global event that touched down in Toronto and Vancouver: Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.

The Eras Tour helped reveal that longer events, like the World Cup, create more opportunities to capture spending. Moneris said it’s important for merchants to be staffed, stocked and ready not just for game days, but throughout the weeks the tournament is played here:

  •  In Toronto, over the 10-day span of Taylor Swift’s six concerts, Moneris transaction data showed that spending downtown rose 45% week-over-week;
  • Over the three days Taylor Swift played in Vancouver, total spending across the downtown core rose 154% week-over-week.

Businesses in Toronto and Vancouver should be prepared for international fans to contribute to spending: International visitors were also a major contributor to the overall spending increase during Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, with foreign spending increasing 48% in Toronto and 97% in Vancouver week-over-week, said Moneris.

Sean McCormick
Sean McCormick

“To understand what the FIFA World Cup could mean for businesses in Toronto and Vancouver, it helps to look at a recent global event with similar demand. During Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, the impact extended beyond the venue, across the downtown core, over multiple days and across a wide range of categories. For businesses, the opportunity begins before kickoff and can continue well after the final whistle,” said Sean McCormick, Vice President of Business Development, Data Services.

“International visitors can drive meaningful spending. During the Eras Tour, foreign spending rose sharply in both Toronto and Vancouver, especially in hotels, restaurants and apparel. With the World Cup expected to attract fans from around the world, businesses that are ready to serve international customers will be better positioned to capture that demand.”

“Convenience matters. During Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, we saw especially strong spending growth at fast food restaurants and bakeries in both Toronto and Vancouver. Fans are likely to look for quick, affordable options they can grab on the go, and businesses that are ready to meet that demand will be best positioned to benefit.”

Data Tables:

Spend volume in downtown Toronto for Taylor Swift’s concerts.

 Week-over-week
CategoryTotal spendInternational spend
Hotels+16%+45%
Clothing stores+49%+81%
Accessory/specialty+102%+145%
Movie theatres+30%+67%
Theatrical productions+130%+58%
Restaurants+12%+57%
Fast food+11%+28%
Bakeries+54%+26%
All Categories+45%+48%

About the data: Figures are based on week-over-week spending volume in downtown Toronto. Week-over-week compares to the same day the week prior.  Moneris spending reports measure spending in Canada across a range of categories by analyzing credit and debit card transaction data. The figures cited are derived from aggregated transaction data being processed by Moneris in the applicable categories.

Rank of spend by country in downtown Toronto for Taylor Swift’s concerts.

RankCountryPercent of total volume
1United States83%
2China3%
3United Kingdom1%
4Mexico1%
5Hong Kong1%

About the data: Ranking is based on share of international spend volume in downtown Toronto. Moneris spending reports measure spending in Canada across a range of categories by analyzing credit and debit card transaction data. The figures cited are derived from aggregated transaction data being processed by Moneris in the applicable categories.

Spend volume in downtown Vancouver for Taylor Swift’s concerts.

 Week-over-week
CategoryTotal spendForeign spend
Hotels+109%+145%
Clothing stores+923%+254%
Cosmetic Stores+529%+80%
Variety Stores+178%+92%
Restaurants+135%+106%
Fast food+151%+99%
Bakeries+102%+69%
All Categories+154%+97%

About the data: Figures are based on week-over-week spending volume in downtown Vancouver. Week-over-week compares to the same day the week prior.  Moneris spending reports measure spending in Canada across a range of categories by analyzing credit and debit card transaction data. The figures cited are derived from aggregated transaction data being processed by Moneris in the applicable categories.

Rank of spend by country in downtown Vancouver for Taylor Swift’s concerts.

RankCountryPercent of total volume
1United States83%
2Ireland4%
3China2%
4United Kingdom1%
5Australia1%

About the data: Ranking is based on share of foreign spend volume in downtown Vancouver. Moneris spending reports measure spending in Canada across a range of categories by analyzing credit and debit card transaction data. The figures cited are derived from aggregated transaction data being processed by Moneris in the applicable categories.

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25% of ecommerce side hustlers in Canada earn $1,000+ Monthly: Omnisend

By
Mario Toneguzzi
-
Andrea Piacquadio photo
Andrea Piacquadio photo

For many Canadians looking to earn extra income, ecommerce is proving to be one of the most lucrative side hustles. A new survey from Omnisend finds that 25% of Canadian ecommerce side hustlers make more than $1,000 per month.

The findings come as selling items online is now the most common side hustle overall, chosen by 48% of side hustlers, said Omnisend.

Among ecommerce side hustlers earning more than $1,000 per month, many are building those income streams quickly and without full-time hours: 49% launched their online business less than a year ago, while one-in-three (33%) spend fewer than 10 hours a week managing it, it said.

“Many people assume you need a huge audience, a large budget, or years of experience to succeed online, but that’s rarely the case,” said Marty Bauer, Ecommerce Expert at Omnisend. “Today’s marketplaces and social commerce platforms have lowered the barriers to entry, making it easier for people to test ideas, reach customers, and start generating income much faster than in the past.”

Marty Bauer
Marty Bauer

Among high-earning online sellers, the most commonly sold items are handmade or custom goods (25%), print-on-demand products like t-shirts or mugs (19%), and vintage or second-hand items (13%), said Omnisend. 

It said high earners also use established marketplaces to reach customers:

  • 57% use Amazon
  • 51% use Facebook Marketplace
  • 38% use eBay
  • 25% use Shopify

“Successful side hustlers aren’t necessarily the ones spending the most time on their business. They’re finding products that appeal to a specific audience and using marketplaces that already attract millions of shoppers,” said Bauer. “That allows them to compete successfully even against much larger retailers – without treating it as a second full-time job.”

For those looking to build a profitable ecommerce side hustle, Bauer recommends the following:

  • Solve a specific problem. Products that address a clear need or serve a passionate community tend to outperform generic items competing solely on price. Before investing heavily in inventory, test demand through pre-orders or marketplace listings.
  • Build direct customer relationships from day one. Marketplaces can help generate initial sales, but you should also encourage customers to subscribe to email or SMS updates. Owning customer relationships makes it easier to grow independently of any single platform.
  • Track repeat purchases, not just first-time sales. A product that generates loyal customers can be more valuable than one that sells quickly but rarely brings shoppers back.

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Daily Synopsis: Jun 3, 2026

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Retail Insider
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Welcome to the Daily Synopsis by Retail Insider. We published 9 articles today highlighting recent developments shaping Canadian retail.

Leyad acquired Intercity Shopping Centre in Thunder Bay and plans to revitalize it with a flagship Sport Chek and new tenants. King Living opened its first Québec showroom at Quartier DIX30 with modular furniture targeting the Montréal market. Toronto startup Nüu Catering introduced curated office catering services to enhance return-to-office culture through local restaurant partnerships. Canadian retailer Kiokii and… is also expanding across Canada’s top malls as it plans further rapid expansion in the US.

 

Zellers announced expansion into Ontario with smaller-format stores emphasizing curated assortments and the comeback of the Zeddy plush bear. Purdys Chocolatier is expanding into the Maritimes opening four new stores to meet regional demand. Clean oral care brand Before launched a new compostable mouthwash with plans to distribute through Whole Foods.

🗞️ The Day’s Retail Insider Article List

 

🌐 Canadian Retail News From Around the Web

Michael Hoover on the Recalibration of Becoming a Father While Growing His Career

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Retail Insider
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The Drexel Hill resident, recently promoted to Head of Private Wealth Planning at his firm, talks less about balance and more about adjustments: the small daily shifts that come with a newborn, a new title, and a long-term plan for the family he is now responsible for.

There is a particular hour of the morning that most new parents come to know well. It is somewhere between the last feeding of the night and the start of the workday, the window when the house is still quiet, and a sleeping infant is, for the moment, content. For Michael Hoover, that hour has become sacred and a part of the architecture of his week. It is then when he works out, reads, drinks a cup of coffee, and reviews his work calendar that is going to govern the rest of his day.

Hoover and his wife welcomed their son earlier this year. The arrival of a child is the kind of event that reorders a life in ways that parenting books can only partly prepare a person for. For Hoover, who was recently promoted to Head of Private Wealth Planning, Senior Vice President at his firm, that reordering has come in parallel with a larger professional role. The two transitions have happened more or less at the same time.

He talks about it less as a balancing act and more as a recalibration. Nothing has been removed from the equation. The components and variables of his personal and professional life have simply compounded and changed.

A different relationship with time

Before becoming a father, Hoover ran half marathons in Philadelphia, Chicago, and Nashville. His wife ran full marathons at many of the same events. The training was demanding, and it was also, in a way, a luxury: a structured use of long, uninterrupted blocks of time that most working adults rarely have.

Newborns dismantle that kind of structure. Sleep is the first thing to compress. The second is the assumption that any single block of time will go uninterrupted. Hoover talks about how, in the first few months, he stopped trying to protect long windows and started learning to use short ones better. Twenty minutes of focused time between feedings. A thirty minute run early in the morning, before the rest of the house was awake. A short stroller walk at the end of the workday with his wife and dog that doubled as a chance to catch up and share valuable time together.

It is a small adjustment in description, and a substantial one in practice. The discipline that produced consistent training mileage is the same discipline he has had to redirect into parenthood. The difference is that the metric is no longer pace per mile. It is whether the newborn he is responsible for is fed, calm, and safe.

Career growth and the timing of it

The promotion to Head of Private Wealth Planning landed in the middle of all of this. Senior level moves in financial services are not typically timed to align with the rhythms of a household with a newborn, and Hoover is candid that there is no version of the last few months that has not been demanding. He took on more responsibility at the office in the same season he took on more responsibility at home.

What has kept the two from colliding, is a clearer sense of what each of them requires. Career growth at this stage is more about prioritizing his team, client relationships, prospect opportunities and the deep technical work that compounds. He is deliberate about which client relationships he gives his deepest attention to, which projects he says yes to, and which things he is comfortable letting other people own.

That posture is partly a function of seniority. It is also a function of the simple fact that his wife and newborn son need him to be present when he is home. Distracted work, in his framing, costs twice. It produces a weaker professional result and it borrows from the time he could have been giving his family.

The financial conversations that come with a child

Hoover is a CPA by practice, and his professional life is built around helping families think through long horizon planning. Becoming a father has not changed that work in any technical sense. It has changed the way it lands when he sits across from another client who is in a similar season of life.

Some of the questions a new parent asks are familiar ones with new urgency. Is now the right time to draft and/or update wills, powers of attorney, healthcare directives and trust agreements? How much life insurance should I have and what’s the right type of policy? Who should be named as beneficiaries and contingent beneficiaries on various policies? These proactive and foundational questions, documents and vehicles protect families and ensure their wishes are legally recognized. 

A 529 plan is no longer a hypothetical conversation. Individuals can give up to $19,000 per beneficiary ($38,000 per couple) per year in 2026 without triggering gift tax considerations, and a five year lump sum election lets a parent or grandparent front load up to $95,000 or $190,000 per couple in one year per beneficiary. Earnings within the accounts grow tax-free and withdrawals are income-tax free if utilized for qualified educational expenses like K-12 and college tuition. Additionally, the SECURE 2.0 Act, signed into law in 2022, allows up to $35,000 of excess funds in the plan to be transferred to a Roth IRA in the beneficiary’s name.  For families with the means and the inclination, those mechanics matter.

The Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) allows minors to receive gifts or assets (like cash or stocks) without a formal trust. The same $19,000 per beneficiary gift tax considerations apply in this case as well. An appointed custodian manages the account on the child’s behalf until they reach a specified age of termination, typically between 18 and 21. This provides a convenient way for children to save and invest without carrying the tax burden.

The introduction of Trump Accounts under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA) has added a newer wrinkle. These accounts are essentially a traditional IRA with special rules. For eligible children born between 2025 and 2028, the federal government will make a one-time $1,000 pilot program contribution to the account for which an election is made with additional family contributions permitted to contribute up to a combined total of $5,000 per year. Finally, tax credits familiar to most new parents, including the Child Tax Credit and Child and Dependent Care Credit, remain in play.

The point Hoover tends to make to clients, and to himself, is that none of these vehicles is a strategy on its own. They are tools. The strategy is the underlying decision about what a family wants to make possible for a child two decades from now, and what they are willing to consistently set aside in the present to get there. The mechanics follow from that. Not the other way around.

A neighborhood that does some of the work

Hoover and his wife have raised the question, more than once, of whether Drexel Hill is the right place to raise their son. The answer keeps coming back yes, and it has less to do with any single feature of the neighborhood than with the accumulation of small ones.

Their neighborhood is walkable. Nearby playgrounds and parks are ample. The trails along Darby Creek are close and the roughly 2,600 acres comprising Ridley Creek State Park are only fifteen minutes away. All of these options allow their family, including their certified rescue dog, abundant opportunities to walk, hike, run and enjoy the outdoors.The Hoovers have been deliberate about keeping these routines that pre-date their son alive in some form.

Drexel Hill was ranked by Consumer Affairs as the second best city in Pennsylvania to move to, on a composite of affordability, safety, health care, and quality of life. Likewise, Zillow projects Drexel Hill to be one of the hottest neighborhoods in the Philadelphia metro real estate market in 2026. None of that, on its own, makes a place a home. Taken together, it makes the daily logistics of parenting noticeably easier.

What he is trying to model

Hoover is reluctant to describe parenting in lofty terms. He is more comfortable talking about the small things: being home for dinner, bath time and nightly routines, putting the phone down when he walks through the door, and being honest about the days that have been hectic at the office instead of carrying the workday stress into their home.

There is a longer arc underneath all of it, though, and he is willing to name it. He wants his son to grow up in a loving home, watching how adults handle the responsibilities and pressure that come with work-life balance. Not because pressure is romantic, but because life will eventually deliver it to him as well, and the way the people around him react and respond will shape how he learns to do the same. Hoover would rather his son see consistency than perfection. He thinks the modeling matters more than the outcome of any given day.

That posture is informed, at least in part, by overseeing teams in his professional career and his time as a teaching assistant and alumni mentor at Penn State. The associates and students he has worked with over the years have taught him something he did not expect, which is that the most useful thing a leader can do is be steady and composed and be the same person from one conversation to the next. He is applying the same principle at home.

The recalibration is the point

There is a version of the story Michael Hoover could tell about the last year that is built around scale: a promotion, a child, a household that has roughly doubled in complexity. He does not tell it that way. He talks about the version that is built around adjustments. Smaller blocks of time, used more deliberately. A long horizon plan that now has a face attached to it.

The promotion is real. The new title is on his email signature. The new responsibilities are on his calendar. But the more interesting transition, in his telling, is the quieter one happening at home. It is the one that is going to define what the next twenty years look like, and it is the one he intends to get right.

Michael Hoover, CPA, MAcc, is the Head of Private Wealth Planning, Senior Vice President at his firm. He lives in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, with his wife, their son, and their rescue dog. A 2016 Penn State graduate, he remains active in the university’s alumni mentorship program and continues to support THON.

Leyad acquires Intercity Shopping Centre in Thunder Bay

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Intercity Shopping Centre in Thunder Bay, Ontario (CNW Group/Leyad)

Real estate investment and development firm Leyad announced Wednesday the acquisition of Intercity Shopping Centre, a 456,430-square-foot retail asset in Thunder Bay, Ontario, serving as the dominant shopping destination for Northwestern Ontario.

As part of the acquisition, Leyad will immediately move forward with the completion of a brand-new Sport Chek location at the property – one of the top-performing Canadian Tire-owned retail brands in the country. The flagship store will significantly enhance the centre’s retail offering and further strengthen Intercity Shopping Centre’s role as the region’s dominant shopping destination, said the company.

The property was bought from the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP) for an undisclosed amount.

Leyad said it is also actively finalizing agreements with several new national and international retailers to redevelop and backfill portions of the former Sears space, which has remained vacant since Sears Canada ceased operations in 2015.

“Intercity Shopping Centre is the heart of retail in Thunder Bay and across Northwestern Ontario,” said Henry Zavriyev, President of Leyad. “This investment reflects our confidence in the strength of the market, the community, and the long-term future of the centre. We see tremendous opportunity to modernize the property, attract exciting new retailers, and create a best-in-class shopping experience for the region.”

Intercity Shopping Centre in Thunder Bay, Ontario (CNW Group/Leyad)
Henry Zavriyev
Henry Zavriyev

Located at the intersection of Thunder Bay’s major commercial corridors, Intercity Shopping Centre serves as the city’s primary retail hub and draws shoppers from across Northwestern Ontario. The centre is home to many of Canada’s leading national retailers and remains one of the most important commercial assets in the region, said Leyad.

The redevelopment plans are expected to bring substantial new investment into Thunder Bay, create jobs, and further reinforce the centre’s position as the leading retail destination in Northwestern Ontario, it said.

In March, Leyad announced the acquisition of a 387,000-square-foot portfolio of single-tenant grocery properties leased to Loblaw Companies Limited.

The portfolio spans British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, and the Yukon Territory, marking Leyad’s entry into British Columbia and Yukon. Following the transaction, Leyad’s footprint now extends across eight provinces – Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan – in addition to the Yukon, it said in a news release.

Intercity Shopping Centre in Thunder Bay, Ontario (CNW Group/Leyad)

The Montreal-based real estate investment and development firm also expanded its growing portfolio of Canadian shopping centres in March with the acquisition of Lloyd Mall, a dominant regional retail property serving communities across eastern Alberta and western Saskatchewan.

Recent transactions represent steps in Leyad’s rapid expansion across Western Canada. Over the past two years, the company has emerged as one of the country’s most active buyers of regional shopping centres, targeting assets anchored by grocery, pharmacy, and discount retailers that generate consistent foot traffic.

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