New study reveals what consumers will, and will not, cut back on as high costs meet the year's biggest retailing season
As Canadians face a high cost of living ahead of the holiday shopping season, many are considering potential cuts to their overall expenditures. According to a new study released by Ipsos, if Canadians have to make cuts to their expenses, 35% say they would cut back on gift-giving among family, friends, neighbours or coworkers.
The poll, conducted for CanadaHelps.org, found that another 24% would cut expenses on family and friend gatherings, while only 24% expect they will not have to cut back on their holiday spending at all. The expense respondents were least likely to cut, notably, was charitable giving. Only 17% of respondents said they would cut charitable donations, the same proportion said they would cut travel expenses to visit family far away.
A press release announcing results of the study claims that the results indicate “the value Canadians place on donating to charity especially in the holiday season.”
The survey asked Canadians which causes they were most likely to donate to this holiday season. 46% said they would donate to causes around physical health like cancer, Alzheimer’s, or heart disease. A further 35% said they would donate to mental health related causes. The same proportion said they would donate to food insecurity causes, and 30% said they would make donations to help alleviate homelessness — potentially speaking to the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Other popular causes were animals (26%), crisis relief (22%), education (20%), climate change (17%), and religion (14%).
The survey also asked Canadian parents if they talk to their children about donating. 71% of parents with children in the household said they talk to their kids about “the importance of giving” and how they can support charitable causes. 39% of respondents said they have those conversations with “the children in their life.”
According to the survey 21% of respondents had volunteered their time at a charity or non-profit, while 11% volunteered at mutual aid networks and 5% attended a protest in the last six months. Alberta had the highest percentage of charitable or non-profit work across the provinces, with 27% of Albertan respondents claiming to have volunteered.
