A new Angus Reid survey has found that about half (50%) of Canadian shoppers are finding it difficult to get their Christmas shopping down because of shortages in stores and malls.
Retailers and manufacturers have been warning Canadians for months to start their holiday shopping early this year as they struggle with labour shortages, shipping issues and production bottlenecks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and flooding in British Columbia that has wreaked havoc on highway and railway corridors on the west coast.
While it’s still early days, some businesses fear that the new Omicron variant could prolong or even worsen the current supply chain situation.
The poll found about a third of Canadians did start holiday shopping earlier than usual this year, while a small number of respondents (6%) are delaying their gift buying in the hopes that some of the supply chain obstacles will ease in coming weeks.
When it comes to online shopping, Angus Reid found that 40% of respondents said they had at least some trouble finding the items they wanted, while the rest reported having "no difficulty at all."
On top of the usual pressure to find the perfect gift, rising prices are adding another layer of stress to Canadians’ budgets this year. The poll suggested that of those that are feeling more financial stress than usual, 41% plan to reduce their holiday spending this year.
