Get picked byholiday shoppersthis year.

Black Friday lands on November 27 this year, so you have a little over three weeks. Canadian shoppers are coming in with smaller budgets and a clearer list than last year, and that changes what works.

The short version: Canadians plan to spend an average of $911 on the holidays, down from $975 in 2025, but most still want to buy small and Canadian. You won't beat Walmart and Amazon on discount depth, so don't try. Win on what they can't copy: original gifts, easy pickup and shipping, strong reviews, and a reason for buyers to come back in January.

What are Canadian shoppers planning this year?

They're careful, but they're still shopping. The Retail Council of Canada's annual survey with Leger polled 2,500 Canadians from August 21 to September 4. It found 52% expect to spend about the same as last year and 82% are confident they can buy everything they plan to.

Sources: RCC press release and RCC holiday dashboard.

Alberta shoppers plan the biggest budgets in the country, $1,184 on average, down just $9 from last year. Good news if you sell in Calgary or Edmonton.

Owners are less cheerful. In VistaPrint's survey of 500 Canadian small business owners, only 13% felt optimistic about holiday customer spending. Attracting new customers was the top priority for 32%.

Here's the opening. Constant Contact surveyed shoppers in Canada, the US, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, and 75.2% said they're likely to try a small business they've never bought from this season. People are open to you. Your job is to make choosing you easy.

Should you run a Black Friday sale?

Yes, but keep it focused and don't race the big boxes to the bottom. Discounts still matter: in the same Constant Contact survey, 52.6% of shoppers said sales are their main reason to shop small. But 48.5% pick small businesses for more original gifts, and that's the part a chain can't match.

What we'd tell a client: a 40% off sitewide sale mostly teaches your customers to wait for 40% off. A better offer gives a reason to buy now. Think a gift bundle, free gift wrap, a limited batch made for the season, or a gift card with a small bonus attached (gift cards are 16% of holiday budgets).

Timing matters too. RCC respondents expect Black Friday and the Cyber Monday week to each take about 29% of their holiday budgets. If you only run one promotion, run it from Friday, November 27 to Monday, November 30, and tell your email list a few days before.

How do you make buying from you as easy as Amazon?

Start with convenience, because it's the cheapest win on this list. 44.1% of shoppers say options like flexible pickup, returns and free shipping appeal to them, yet only 21.9% of small businesses prioritize them.

Put three things on your site this week:

• Your last order dates for Christmas delivery, on the home page and at checkout.
• Local pickup as a checkout option, if you have anywhere to hand things over.
• Your return policy in one or two plain sentences.

Here are Canada Post's 2026 last days to ship for Christmas delivery:

Compiled by ShipStation, updated October 28. Check Canada Post's holiday sending guidelines for your exact route.

Give yourself a buffer when you post these. "Order by December 8 for delivery anywhere in Canada" is a promise you can keep, even if a parcel sits a day longer at your counter.

One shop we built this fall shows two options at checkout: free Canada Post shipping within Canada, and local pickup. Both cost the buyer $0, and together they answer the two questions people ask most before buying a gift.

Are your reviews and Google profile ready?

They should be, because reviews are where holiday shoppers decide. 80% say ratings and reviews are important when choosing holiday purchases, rising to 90% among 18 to 34 year olds.

Ask your happiest customers from this year for a Google review now, while there's still time for reviews to show up. Send them a direct review link, not "find us on Google." Then open your Google Business Profile and update your holiday hours, add a current photo, and check that your products or services are listed. If you don't appear at all, start with Why isn't my business showing up on Google?

Will AI send holiday shoppers your way?

Some, and the number is growing. 31% of Canadians expect to use an AI tool for part of their holiday shopping, most often to compare prices. Most use it for research and still check the answer: 56% would verify an AI recommendation before buying.

The fix is plain. An AI tool can only compare what it can read, so put real prices, sizes and what's included on your website as text, not only inside an image or a PDF. More on that in AI is starting to shop for your customers and Get found in ChatGPT and Google's AI answers.

Should you lead with Made in Canada?

If it's true, yes, and say it where people decide. 84% would be more likely to buy a gift marked Made in Canada, though 52% add "if the price is reasonable". Owners have noticed: 48% of small businesses say Canadian identity plays a bigger role in their holiday marketing this year.

Put it in the product title, the photos and the checkout, and be specific. "Hand-poured in Calgary" is more believable than a maple leaf on everything. If your products are imported, don't hint otherwise. It's the quickest way to lose the trust you're trying to win.

What happens in January?

For most small businesses, nothing, and that's the mistake. 70.8% of small businesses don't plan to invite holiday shoppers onto an email list or loyalty program. You work hard to win a new customer in December, then lose them by February.

Add one unticked checkbox at checkout: "Get first pick of new pieces and the occasional discount." Then send one thank-you email in January with a reason to come back. Just one email, not a newsletter you won't keep up.

Your next three weeks

1. This week: pick your Black Friday offer and set your last order dates.
2. Add shipping, pickup and return details to your site and checkout.
3. Ask 10 happy customers for a Google review and update your Business Profile hours.
4. Make sure prices and product details are on your site as text.
5. Add the email opt-in at checkout.
6. Around November 24: email your list a preview of the offer.

If you're comfortable doing these yourself, go for it. Most take an afternoon. If you'd rather have someone set up the shop, checkout options and Google profile properly, or you need holiday graphics and posts that don't look like a template, that's what we do at Loud Launch. Websites start at $1,600 and content from $100, with the prices right on our site. Book a free call and we'll help you pick what's worth doing in the time you have.

Drafted with AI help from our notes and checked against the sources above.

This post is general information and our own take, not legal, financial or professional advice for your situation. Prices, features and survey results change, so check the linked sources before you act. Accurate as of November 4, 2026. See our terms.