Black Friday is the unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season. So, what can consumers expect this year as they search for deals? George Doumet is our guest this episode. He’s a consumer products analyst at Scotiabank. He chats with Armina Ligaya to break down what the retail landscape looks like as it gears up for one of its busiest seasons. And he’ll even tell us what Taylor Swift, the Paw Patrol and weight loss drugs might have to do with all this. 

Key moments this episode: 

1:09 — What the latest consumer trends and data tell us about how the holiday shopping season is shaping up 

1:58 — Why the trend around spending on experiences vs goods appears to be sticking around this year 

2:32 — What does “Taylor Swift mania” have to say about the experience trend? 

3:15 — Are consumers going to be able to find some deals this year on black Friday? 

4:04 — Why consumers and retailers are playing a bit of a game of chicken 

5:34 — How consumers are using their loyalty points this season 

6:00 — What’s the general health of the consumer looking like this year? 

8:06 — What about food costs this holiday season? What’s up, what’s down? 

9:01 — What about eating out, why have consumers had a “shift of stomach” lately? 

9:49 — One surprising potential trend to keep an eye on: the effect weight-loss drugs may have on food sales in the future 

10:44 — Last year George told us inflation was going to play the Grinch that holiday season. Is that still the case this year?