Consumer Attitudes & Behavior

The Trudeau Liberals sought Friday to get ahead of growing economic concerns linked to rising COVID-19 case counts, vowing new and revamped business supports to keep workers on payrolls and maintain job gains threatened by the pandemic's second wave.The government plans to provide direct rent support to commercial tenants at a projected cost of $2.2 billion through the end of the year, rather than flowing the money through landlords who were not keen on a previous version of the program.A wage subsidy program will cover up to 65% of eligible costs through December, costing the treasury $6 billion over that time, and $11 billion more to a well-used loan program by providing an added $20,000, half of which would be forgivable.Even though many businesses have reopened, a number are not at full capacity while others worry about surviving a second wave.

Canadians are divided about whether to let the COVID-19 pandemic disrupt their plans for upcoming holidays and seasonal events, a new poll suggests.The poll, conducted by Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies, comes as COVID-19 cases are surging and public health authorities are pleading with Canadians in places with rising case counts to avoid contact with anyone outside their immediate families or at least to stick to small social circles.The results suggest that message is only partially getting through.Respondents with children who went door to door for Halloween last year were closely divided on whether to let them go trick-or-treating again this year, with 52% saying they won't and 48% saying they will.The poll found sharp regional variations, however.

    OCTANE and Convenience Store News Canada are pleased to present Pump Chats, a new podcast hosted by Jennifer Stewart, CIPMA president and CEO.

If you took up vaping to avoid the taxes on cigarettes, your luck just ran out.A 20% tax on vaping products was a key feature of the Newfoundland and Labrador budget September 29, which aimed to focus as much as possible on community health and prevention.Vaping has so far escaped the province's sin tax net, even though research suggests the practice can present significant health risks, especially for teens and young adults.The province also added an extra 10 cents in taxes per gram of loose tobacco and five cents per cigarette.The budget also allocated $1.7 million for school initiatives, awareness campaigns and cessation programs to help reduce tobacco use and vaping.

New research from Ethnicity Matters shows how important it is to understand diverse, multicultural Canadians to strengthen the post-COVID-19 economic recovery.

A Halloween night that falls on both a Saturday and a full moon would normally be ideal for spooky festivities, driving up sales of candy, costumes and decorations.But with cases of COVID-19 on the rise, experts expect retailers to see soft demand for Halloween supplies as plans are scaled back and trick-or-treating is questioned altogether.They add that sales related to the spooky celebration may also serve as an indicator for what retailers can expect this Christmas, the largest shopping season of the year.Farla Efros, president of HRC Retail Advisory, says Halloween is a significant portion of business for many retailers and candy makers.She says the lack of gatherings, office parties and trick-or-treating could lead to soft sales for retailers from grocers to specialty Halloween pop-up stores.Retail analyst Bruce Winder says families and friends might plan their own ``bubble Halloween'' like a backyard celebration or scary movie night.He says while people will still buy some candy, decorations and costumes, it likely won't be as profitable a season as usual for retailers and candy manufacturers.

Retail sales in Canada “hit a wall'' in July after big gains in May and June, a sign that the economic recovery could be slow and bumpy.Statistics Canada said Friday overall retail sales in July rose 0.6% to $52.9 billion, helped by higher sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers and gasoline stations, after posting gains of more than 20% in both May and June.However, core retail sales, which exclude those two sectors, fell 1.2% in July, with building material and garden equipment sales dropping 11.6%.

A new survey finds that young people have been vaping less frequently since the COVID-19 pandemic began.The survey, conducted by the Lung Association of Nova Scotia and Smoke-Free Nova Scotia, finds that respondents decreased vaping to five days per week from six, on average.They also cut back to an average of 19 vaping episodes per day, down from 30.There has been a major push by all levels of government to introduce regulations designed to curb youth vaping.The survey funded by Heart & Stroke also found the decrease in vaping frequency is most notable in British Columbia and Ontario.The researchers say it may be related to warnings of potential complications from COVID-19 for e-cigarette users.The survey heard from more than 1,800 respondents between 16 and 24 years old, and found most begin vaping at around the age of 15.