Vancouver businesses told to prepare for Swiftie traffic: report

The Taylor Swift train is just a week away from stopping in Vancouver.

The global superstar will perform at BC Place on Friday, Dec. 6, for the first of three concerts, and businesses are being warned to prepare.

About 250,000 Swifties are expected to flood the streets of Vancouver, and Moneris, a Canadian commerce provider, says they will monitor the crowds' spending habits.

“We took the full 10 days Taylor Swift was in Toronto, and a thing that we found by looking at that is that she created a week-over-week increase in downtown Toronto of 45 per cent in terms of spend volume,” said David Litwin, the external communications manager for Moneris.

Litwin went on to explain that this is a unique figure because both Toronto and Vancouver are large entertainment markets, and it takes a significant event to trigger this boost in spending.

For example, Moneris found that clothing stores saw a 49 per cent increase in spending, and accessory/specialty stores surged by 102 per cent, as fans likely shopped for eras-inspired outfits or souvenirs.

According to Moneris, cinemas experienced a 30 per cent boost and plays a 130 per cent increase, possibly due to visitors catching multiple shows or parents of concertgoers finding alternative activities.

The data provided also shows Toronto bakeries saw a growth of 54 per cent, suggesting concertgoers preferred quick bites.

The commerce company told CTV News that international spending rose by 48 per cent, with U.S. travellers contributing to 83 per cent.

“We can zoom in at that as it applies to hotels; foreign volume was up 45 per cent,” said Litwin.

Unlike Toronto, Vancouver will only host three Taylor Swift shows but is still expected to generate $157 million for the local economy.

Moneris expects to have the data for the Eras Tour stop in Vancouver several days after the last concert at BC Place on Dec. 8.