Vancouver retailers and restaurants expect a cautious holiday season
Vancouver business owners are stocking up on lower-priced items and seeing fewer corporate bookings as a Deloitte survey finds Canadians plan to spend 14.2% less this holiday season.
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Vancouver retailers and restaurant owners are heading into the 2026 holiday season with lower sales expectations, as a national survey finds consumers plan to spend less and local business owners adjust their strategies.
Business in Vancouver reported Monday that several Vancouver businesses are changing their approach ahead of Black Friday and the holiday period. A Deloitte survey of 1,000 Canadian consumers, conducted August 28 to September 4, found planned spending on seasonal items and activities at $1,305 per person this year. That is down 14.2 per cent from $1,521 the year before, according to BIV, with Deloitte citing "a decline in holiday entertaining and experiences."
Autostrada Restaurants general manager Morgan Brown told BIV that his company's two Vancouver restaurants have fewer full dinner buyouts booked for December than in past years. Lunch bookings remain steady, Brown said, but full dinner buyouts are down and his company has dropped its prices in response.
Tap and Barrel president and COO Jason Forbes told BIV that Black Friday is the company's biggest gift card day for its eight restaurants. "Black Friday is a big gift-card day for us, in the restaurants and online, and it kicks off the holiday season of shopping," Forbes said. The chain plans bonus gift cards when other gift cards are purchased that day.
Big League Sports Excellence, a sporting goods retailer on Burrard Street, is planning deeper discounts on items already being cleared out. Co-owner Andrew Robinson told BIV the 30-year-old store participates in Black Friday sales because competitors do, though it has historically operated as a discount business.
Tom Lee Music is accepting instrument trade-ins and planning Black Friday deals on selected guitars and keyboards, according to BIV.
The economic picture behind the cautious outlook is broader. Canada's Parliamentary Budget Office cut its real GDP growth forecast for 2026 to 0.9 per cent (down from 1.1 per cent) and for 2027 to 1.5 per cent (down from 1.6 per cent), partly because of U.S. tariffs and Canadian countermeasures. A Bank of Canada survey in the third quarter of 2026 found 24 per cent of business owners planned to spend less on machinery and equipment in the next 12 months, up from 16 per cent the previous quarter.
Capilano University School of Business retail instructor David Ian Gray told BIV that consumer sentiment may shift once the holiday spirit arrives, but the survey results match a multi-year trend of caution. He added that retailers should use Black Friday for high-inventory items and save Boxing Day for clearance.
Black Friday falls on November 27. Deloitte's survey found consumers expect to have spent 51 per cent of their holiday budgets by the end of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday week, which closes November 30. Residents planning to shop local in Vancouver can look for deals at the stores mentioned and others in the city's shopping districts that week.
Questions this story answers
What do Vancouver retailers expect for holiday sales in 2026?
Business in Vancouver reports that Vancouver retailers and restaurant owners are entering the holiday season with lower expectations. A Deloitte survey of 1,000 Canadian consumers, conducted August 28 to September 4, found planned holiday spending at $1,305 per person, down 14.2 per cent from $1,521 the prior year. Capilano University retail instructor David Ian Gray told BIV the results back up a broader trend of consumer caution over the past few years.
Which Vancouver restaurants are seeing fewer corporate bookings?
Autostrada Restaurants general manager Morgan Brown told Business in Vancouver that his company's two Vancouver restaurants have fewer full dinner buyouts booked for December. Brown told BIV that lunch bookings remain steady, but full dinner buyouts are down from previous years. His company has lowered its prices in response.
What is Tap and Barrel doing for Black Friday 2026?
Tap and Barrel president and COO Jason Forbes told Business in Vancouver that Black Friday is a strong day for gift card sales at the chain's eight restaurants. The company normally offers bonus gift cards when other gift cards are purchased on Black Friday. Forbes said cards valued at $75 or $100 are the biggest sellers.
What is Big League Sports Excellence doing for Black Friday?
Andrew Robinson, co-owner of Big League Sports Excellence on Burrard Street in Vancouver, told Business in Vancouver the store plans to deepen discounts on items already being cleared out. Robinson said his 30-year-old sporting goods store has historically been known as a discount retailer and participates in Black Friday sales because competitors do.
What is Tom Lee Music doing for the holiday season?
Business in Vancouver reports that Tom Lee Music is accepting instrument trade-ins and planning Black Friday deals on selected guitars and keyboards. The article includes a photograph of store manager Ed Laslo at the location.
What do the broader economic figures show about Canadian business spending?
A Bank of Canada survey in the third quarter of 2026 found 24 per cent of business owners said they would spend less on machinery and equipment in the next 12 months. That is up from 16 per cent in the second quarter of 2026. Canada's Parliamentary Budget Office trimmed its economic growth forecast for this year to 0.9 per cent and next year to 1.5 per cent, citing U.S. tariffs and Canadian countermeasures.
When is Black Friday 2026 in Canada?
Black Friday 2026 falls on November 27. The Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping week, which Deloitte's survey calls the key period for holiday spending, ends November 30. The Deloitte survey found consumers expect to have spent 51 per cent of their holiday budgets by the end of that week.
Where can Vancouver residents find information about the City's economic outlook?
Business in Vancouver regularly covers the Vancouver business community. For City of Vancouver decisions that affect businesses, residents can follow City Council at vancouver.ca. The next City Council meeting can be found at the City's website. voche.me covers decisions made by Vancouver City Council and the new council that took office after the October 17, 2026 election.
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