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Mastermind Toys CEO Sarah Jordan says consumers are returning to a more normal pre-pandemic holiday shopping pattern this year. HO/The Canadian Press It’s the most resilient holiday spending category: Toys. But even toy stores are expected to feel the fallout from inflation during the biggest shopping season of the year. “Holiday spending is going to be muted,” retail analyst Bruce Winder said. “But toys are the last thing you cut back on if you have kids. You want something under the tree for them – you just might do it in a more economical way.” While Canadians are expected to rein in their shopping lists this gift-giving season amid rising prices, high interest rates and a grim economic outlook, they still appear willing to open their wallets for toys, experts say. “Toys have been kind of that shining star in Canada,” said Tamara Szames, Canadian retail industry adviser with The NPD Group. “It’s continuing to outperform the rest of the retail industry.” While toy sales may be resi...

An attendee tries the Valeo eXtended Reality Experience during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jan. 6. ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images Is the metaverse closer than we think? It depends on who you ask at CES, where companies are showing off innovations that could immerse us deeper into virtual reality, otherwise known as VR. The metaverse – essentially a buzzword for three-dimensional virtual communities where people can meet, work and play – was a key theme during the four-day tech gathering in Las Vegas that ended Sunday. Taiwanese tech giant HTC Corp. unveiled a high-end VR headset that aims to compete with market leader Meta Platforms Inc., and a slew of other companies and startups touted augmented-reality glasses and sensory technologies that can help users feel – and even smell – in a virtual environment. Among them, Vermont-based OVR Technology showcased a headset containing a cartridge with eight primary aromas that can be combined to create different...