Canadians were in a spending mood during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, according to Moneris Solutions, Canada's largest payment card processor.
Retail spending rose 48% in Vancouver and Whistler for the 17-day period of the Games, compared with the value of transactions in the same period last year.
Souvenir sales rose 373% during the Games, while bars and pubs saw a 130% increase in transactions. The number of clothing-related transactions nearly doubled during the games with consumers.
Canadians accounted for 78.4% of total spending, while U.S. visitors accounted for more than 9%. Chinese visitors spent on average $423 per transaction, while Russians spent $236 per transaction.
Canadians were clearly in a spending mood, except during the men's gold-medal hockey game. Moneris reported a 41% drop in spending compared to the same timeslot during the previous five days of the Olympics.