Consumers are valuing quality over quantity more than ever this holiday season. 

Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce CEO Jason Aebig says affordability challenges brought on by inflation and tariffs are influencing consumers to buy only a few high-value gifts instead of filling numerous boxes and stockings with meaningless presents. 

He adds that some people might even be sacrificing gifts altogether for grub this Christmas due to food inflation rates. 

“I think it’s fair to say that most of us, including me, are making decisions are tradeoffs. If we want to have those special meals and those favourites that we all love and enjoy at this time of year, maybe it means we have to save somewhere else. That’s just a reality of where we are in terms of our economy and our purchasing power at the moment.”

Although it won’t be known until the figures come out in the New Year, Aebig expects that a lot of people have transitioned from online shopping to buying local, out of both patriotism and pragmatism.  

“Over the last several years, we’ve all experienced disruptions to supply chains. When you’re buying stuff from overseas or over the border, there’s always a risk that it may have a tough time getting to you. If you buy Canadian, and it’s a domestic company or business behind it, you have a higher likelihood of getting that product on time.”

Aebig says experts are still forecasting a 3-4 per cent growth in retails sales this year. 

“Last year, it was a bit higher. It was 4-6 per cent. Most of the economists that we’re reading about and hearing from really attribute that to last year’s GST holiday, which was a short-term effort to get people to spend a little more money, which they did.”

With no GST holiday this year, Saskatchewan residents will be left to weigh their options in order to stay within budget.