A new report provides insights into shopping trends in the Lethbridge area. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Shoppers in Lethbridge Trade Area spend $3.8 billion annually, report says

Apr 2, 2025 | 9:46 AM

A new report from Economic Development Lethbridge (EDL) looks into local retail trends and how non-Lethbridge residents spend their money in the city.

CEO Trevor Lewington says the retail sector has been under pressure in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, with additional strain created by inflation and higher interest rates.

“The looming threat of a trade war and tariffs prompted us to dig deeper into the current retail landscape and provide meaningful information that could help retailers fine-tune their business,” says Lewington.

Total annual expenditures from homes within the Lethbridge Trade Area (LTA) are approximately $3.8 billion annually, and around $1.6 billion of that comes from people who live outside of the city.

The report examines shopping trends in local areas broken into three categories:

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• City of Lethbridge
  • $2.3 billion annually
  • 102,267 residents
• Primary Trade Area
  • $389 million annually
  • 19,826 residents
  • Includes communities such as Coaldale and Coalhurst
• Secondary Trade Area
  • $1.2 billion annually
  • 61,643 residents
  • Spans communities from Vulcan to Cardston County and Pincher Creek to Bow Island

An estimated 20,700 people from the region commute to Lethbridge for work every day.

Approximately 22 per cent of visits to retail locations are from people who originate from outside the city. The report says they generally prefer big box stores and well-known brands such as Canadian Tire, Real Canadian Superstore, and Walmart.

Boston Pizza and The Keg were cited as the most popular casual dining restaurants for out-out-towners, while McDonalds, A&W and Subway were the most frequent go-tos for fast food.

“The preference of residents living outside Lethbridge for large department stores correlates with the longer distances they travel for shopping compared to those living within the city. They may be looking to optimize their trip by not visiting specialized stores and instead going to stores that offer multiple products and services,” reads a section of the report.

The leading expenditure in the LTA is groceries ($618.1 million), followed by “tobacco, alcohol and casino, bingo, or lottery” at $410.7 million.

Shari Kain, Board Chair of the Downtown Lethbridge Business Revitalization Zone (BRZ), says businesses can learn a lot of interesting things from the EDL report.

“The report contains some great insights that our retail members in the downtown will benefit from and I encourage any business owner in the retail sector in Lethbridge to explore how they can leverage the identified shopping trends to improve their marketing strategy,” says Kain.

EDL and the Downtown BRZ are hosting an information session to review the findings of the report on Monday, April 14 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Southern Alberta Ethnic Association. More details, including registration, are available here.

The full report can be found on ChooseLethbridge.ca

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