However, as we’re seeing some retailers are more wary of discounting this year. In recent years, Canadian retailers have introduced online-only sales in the weeks leading up to, and including, Black Friday.
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New research from market research firm SAS suggests that, while the prevalence of Black Friday and Cyber Monday are on the rise, Canadians are planning to spend less this holiday season than the previous year, with 1 in 5 surveyed saying they will buy less.
But he says baby boomers are still the biggest spenders at more than 500 dollars, and they still prefer the in-store experience.
With the heightened focus on Black Friday, many are left wondering where that leaves Boxing Day on the list of Canada’s busiest shopping days.
Cyber Monday, known for its exclusive online bargains, has also benefitted from the success of Black Friday weekend. Clothing and accessories were the top category, followed by technology and home electronics, books, music and DVDs, and computer hardware or software, she added.
At the same time, the survey says the number of Canadians heading to the US will decrease by 37%, down to just 15% of all respondents.
Boxing Day has the advantage over Black Friday in terms of price when it comes to cheaper merchandise and big appliances, but Black Friday holds the advantage of being before Christmas, allowing for all the gift-buyers to get their shopping done early.
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“When the dollar was at par and Canadian retailers were losing sales to the USA because of all of this excitement of Black Friday, the two things combined meant Canadian retailers said: ‘Enough is enough, ‘” said Michael LeBlanc, senior vice-president of marketing and digital at the Retail Council of Canada. Cyber Monday shoppers have averaged a 20 per cent increase in spending each year, posting larger, consecutive year-over-year growth numbers compared to Black Friday.
