Spending is expecting to shift to services from goods through the rest of the year
Not all pandemic beneficiaries will continue to thrive
Consumer spending rose 4.2% in March, at its fastest pace in nine months
Economists believe the rising confidence will bolster economic growth
Consumers intend to spend some of the billions in savings built up during the pandemic
Economic shutdowns and restrictions led to a 3.2% decline in consumption last year
Canadians accumulated an average of $5,800 in extra savings in the last year
New director to push consumer-friendly innovation at ADR's complaint body
But consumers are more optimistic about current conditions than they are about the near future
StatsCan's early estimate suggests retailers saw sales fall in December, though, at the height of the holiday shopping season