Generative AI is already affecting the Black Friday shop and more Canadians are taking part in sales events, the latest survey by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has found.

The BCG survey examines spending plans of more than 10,000 consumers across nine markets, including Canada, the U.S., the U.K., Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland and Poland.

The data reveals 34% of Canadians have already used or plan on using GenAI to research products and find deals, while 81% of those users find it a helpful tool. Additionally, 83% of Canadians plan to shop during key sales events like Black Friday or Cyber Monday, an increase of 5% from last year. Four percent of respondents lack awareness of Black Friday, while 15% aren’t aware of Cyber Monday.

The survey also reveals that 85% of Canadian respondents are concerned about the recent price increase for essentials, including food and energy. As a result, 47% of Canadians report “buying more at discount/value retailers,” which is well ahead of the global average of 41% and second to the British at 48%.

Canadians plan to spend $445 on average on November sales events, a 7% increase from 2023. Gen Z and millennials are set to outspend Gen X and boomers, with millennials expected to spend $490 compared to $380 for boomers.

The majority consumers (62%) take advantage of holiday sales to stock up on essential items, in addition to buying gifts, with clothes (34%) and electronics (36%) the top two preferred categories and children’s clothing and accessories (14%) the least.