Value wins in Q1: how to plan around a budget-minded audience
Last winter, Canadians came to Narcity looking for ways to save.
We looked at what our readers searched for and read in the first quarter of 2026.
Canadians are budget-minded, and they go looking for value.
That points to one thing to plan around in Q1 2027, and two dates that fall differently this year.
Value wins when the price is the story
Take our $1 IKEA Canada date-night meal story. It went up on Feb 11, three days before Valentine’s Day, and became our second most-read Valentine’s story.
It wasn’t a one-off. Across the quarter, 15% of our article views were savings, store and grocery stories, led by Costco, sales and new government benefits.
Narcity data. Source: Google Analytics, narcity.com (EN), web only, topics matched by URL so approximate. Share of Q1 article views: Jan 1–Mar 31, 2026. Valentine’s ranking: Jan 1–Feb 28, 2026.
Readers aren’t the only ones counting. Only 12% of Canadians planned to spend more on Valentine’s Day 2026, according to a CIBC poll (Feb 2026).
What this means for your plan: if you have a price, a deal or a clear saving, put it in the headline and the first line of the brief. It’s what readers look for, and it gives them a reason to act.
Ready to plan your Q1? Book a conversation with our team and we’ll show you how to reach shoppers who are looking for value.
Two dates fall differently in 2027
Easter moves into the first quarter, and Valentine’s Day lands right before a long weekend.
Here’s how the quarter lines up:
- Valentine’s Day, Sunday, Feb 14. Lead with a price.
- Family Day, Monday, Feb 15. It falls the day after Valentine’s Day, so in provinces that observe it, date-night and family plans share one long weekend. Plan both messages together.
- Easter, Sunday, Mar 28. It lands in Q1 in 2027. It fell on April 5 in 2026, outside the quarter.
Build your plan around the dates, and let value lead.
Here’s to a Q1 that leads with value.
Learn more about planning your Q1 by booking a conversation here.