Olympic visitors spent big bucks

Consumer spending in Vancouver and Whistler, B.C., increased 48 per cent during the Olympics, credit card processing firm Moneris Solutions reported Thursday.

Souvenir sales during the Feb. 12 to 28 Winter Games increased almost four times over almost the same period in 2009, while bars and pubs saw a 130 per cent increase. Clothing sales almost doubled.

International shoppers accounted for 22 per cent of all transactions, with Americans doing 9.15 per cent of the spending.

Chinese visitors were the biggest spenders, paying on average $423 per transaction. Russians followed at $236, while the Swiss spent $140.

Transactions soared on the day Alexandre Bilodeau skied his way to Canada's first gold medal, and the first ever for a Canadian on home soil, rising 117 per cent over the year earlier. And the day that Canadian ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir won gold, the number of sales rose 127 per cent.

But during the men's gold-medal hockey game last Sunday, spending fell 41 per cent compared to the same time slot during the previous five days. 

Moneris compiled the data and compared retail sales in Vancouver and Whistler from Feb. 12-28 this year, with those from Feb. 13-March 1, 2009. It didn't include gasoline sales. 

Moneris is the country's largest debit and credit card processor.