The holiday season
is crazy for everyone, not
least businesses that cater to
it. According to an August
2015 report by global market
research rm Mintel, 37 per
cent of Canadians say they
do "most" of their shopping a
week or two before Christmas,
while credit-and-debit-card
processor Moneris says that
December 23rd is regularly
the busiest shopping day of
the year. On that day in 2013,
activity peaked between 1:45
p.m. and 4:45 p.m. EST, at 439
transactions per second.
In an attempt to put a face
behind some of those num-
bers, we track one ctional
consumer—a Toronto banking
executive named Kate Collins,
returning home to visit family
in Vancouver—as she navigates
the Christmas rush with 12
B.C. businesses.
bcbusiness.ca december 2015 BCBusiness 45
The holiday season
is crazy for everyone, not
least businesses that cater to
it. According to an August
2015 report by global market
research rm Mintel, 37 per
cent of Canadians say they
do "most" of their shopping a
