Black Friday retail sales have become an American retail tradition, but the U.S. shopping 'holiday' continues to make inroads north of the border, with almost 80% of Canadians expected to do some shopping on Nov. 24, according to a survey.
Not officially getting time off from work isn't going to stop Canadians from getting to stores, both physically and online, as the event has eclipsed Boxing Day, a statutory holiday, as the number one shopping day, according to the survey from the real estate services giant JLL. Some surveys have suggested more than 1 million Canadians call in sick on the first Friday after the US Thanksgiving holiday.
US retailers have long dubbed the day Black Friday because that's when holiday shopping traditionally begins in earnest, giving their balance sheets the boost to end the year in the black, although other theories persist for how the day got its name. These days, many retailers hold Black Friday sales over several days or even weeks, moving the shopping kickoff earlier and earlier into the year.
The day after Christmas, when goods not sold during the holidays tend to be marked down, has long been a Canadian tradition, but just under 70% of respondents in the survey plan to wait until Dec. 26 to shop.
"The weekend between Black Friday and Cyber Monday remains the most popular time for seeking deals. Online shopping greatly surpasses brick-and-mortar stores, with more shoppers shopping exclusively online compared with those who shop exclusively in physical stores," said JLL in its survey.
The survey, conducted in English on Oct. 24-25, polled 1,000 online respondents throughout Canada across gender, age, ethnicity, education, income, marital status, number of children, employment status, career and province.
In another victory for U.S. shopping habits, Canadians listed two American retailers as their top choices to shop, with about 65% listing Amazon among their top three retailers and just over 55% naming Walmart.
Breaking down the results, JLL said 39% of respondents classified themselves as savers motivated by looking for a deal. The other 61% were focused on creating meaningful experiences and fostering connections with loved ones.
This year's average holiday spending budget is $1,049, but the savers are looking to spend $804 and the non-savers $1,204.
Saving money was the top priority this year, followed by getting family and friends what they want, avoiding hassles and crowds next, and then having fun. Saving time was fifth, and not getting COVID-19 was last of the available choices this year.
"A significant change this year is that many Canadians now prioritize connecting with their loved ones, as the act of getting friends and family what they want has leapt from the lowest priority last year to the second-highest this year, advancing 17 percentage points," said JLL, in the report.
This year's top gift is clothing/shoes, followed by gift cards and consumer/beauty cards. Shopping malls are the top destination this year, with 95% of respondents saying they will visit one at least once.
JLL said as more Canadian shoppers plan to eat or drink in shopping malls, dwell time continues to increase, reaching an average of 65 minutes this year. In 2021, average dwell time was 50 minutes.
"With fewer shoppers concerned about health and safety, short trips have become less popular. Half of shoppers plan to stay at a shopping centre between 30 and 90 minutes," said the real estate company.