A significant majority of Albertans, approximately three out of four, are planning to participate in Black Friday shopping today, according to a new national survey. This reinforces the enduring popularity of the sales event, which historically marks the point where retailers become profitable for the year, or "in the black.".
Albertans' Holiday Budget Breakdown
The survey, conducted by the global real-estate firm JLL, polled 1,000 Canadians. It found that shoppers in Alberta anticipate spending an average of $1,376 throughout the entire holiday season. This figure covers gifts, experiences, and non-gift items like food and decorations, and is about $270 lower than the national average.
Of this total budget, Albertans plan to allocate roughly $679 for gifts, $462 for experiences and entertainment, and $236 on other holiday goods such as décor and food. For more than a quarter of shoppers (26%), Black Friday will represent their largest shopping event of 2025.
Spending Trends and Retail Preferences
While the overall holiday budget for Canadians has risen by eight per cent, this increase is not uniform. The JLL report indicates that 44 percent of respondents plan to increase their spending, 33 percent will spend the same as last year, and 23 percent intend to reduce their expenditures.
When it comes to how they shop, the survey reveals a clear preference for brick-and-mortar locations. Just over half of all shoppers plan to spend their money in physical stores. Despite a trend where consumers are becoming more selective—visiting fewer stores and using fewer channels—shoppers still prefer shopping centres over online-only websites, even though they plan to spend less time in them.
Survey Demographics and Economic Context
JLL ensured the survey sample was nationally representative, interviewing respondents across various demographics including gender, age, ethnicity, and province. The estimated median household income of the respondents was approximately $77,500, which is below the national median gross income of $84,000 from Statistics Canada's 2021 census.
As a result, the firm notes that its findings are skewed toward low- and middle-income households and may underrepresent the wealthiest segment of the population. The report, which calculates average spending rather than median, suggests that higher-income individuals are boosting spending on experiences, while lower-income earners are cutting back, with middle-income households caught in the middle.
