MONTREAL -- Many Quebecers are eager to return to their pre-COVID-19 holiday habits of in-person celebrations and shopping in traditional stores, and are even willing to spend more this year to do so, a survey suggests.

The new Leger survey was conducted for the Retail Council of Canada (RCC).

Quebecers average expected spending of $565 is well below the Canadian average of $792, but is still 11 per cent higher than the reported amount Quebecers spent in 2020. Like other Canadians, Quebecers do show a willingness to stick to their budget.

Food and beverages will make up 14 per cent of household spending in Quebec, compared to 11 per cent in the rest of the country. In Quebec, 22 per cent of people will spend more on food and alcohol. Quebecers will also set aside 24 per cent of their budget to spoil themselves, compared to 19 per cent in the rest of Canada.

The pollsters noted that the proportion of Canadians who plan to shop in-store will increase from 58 per cent in 2020 to 63 per cent this year, and that online shopping is expected to decline from the pre-pandemic trend of 28 per cent.

The survey finds increasing foot traffic in Canadian big box stores, which will increase from 46 per cent to 53 per cent compared to last year. These proportions increase from 26 per cent to 46 per cent for clothing retailers and from 29 per cent to 34 per cent for toy and game retailers.

In Quebec, 43 per cent of respondents plan to take advantage of Black Friday promotions to make their purchases, while only 24 per cent will rely on post-Christmas sales, compared to 38 per cent in the rest of the country.

The survey was conducted online in English and French from Aug. 12 to 14 with a sample size of 2505.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 21, 2021.