Black Friday: In-store shopping expected to return as Canadians look for deals – National

Annie Titheridge’s plan is to get to the mall before it opens, buy presents for everyone on her list, and avoid the afternoon rush hour traffic to get home.

“My husband and daughter think I’m crazy about going shopping on Black Friday,” said Titheridge, who drives north of Toronto from King City to the Yorkdale Shopping Center. .

“It’s definitely crowded, but I still prefer shopping in stores,” she said. “I prefer to touch and feel the product before I buy it.”

The biggest shopping event of the year is coming up on Friday. It is foretold by mass promotional emails, online advertisements, and paper flyers.

In recent years, Black Friday has evolved from a one-day event to one where shoppers line up outside massive box stores all night to sell an entire season of Door Crasher sales.

“It’s not just a day, it’s been a long time,” said Eric Morris, managing director of retail at Google Canada.

“In Canada, Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday have turned into weeks of intense commercial activity.”

Still, many Canadians are planning to look for the right deal on Black Friday, which is expected to see a return to in-store shopping.

Canadian shoppers will be more thrifty this holiday season, but they will also be keen to shop in-store, according to new research from professional services firm JLL.

A survey of 982 Canadians conducted between late October and mid-November found that 90% of respondents plan to spend time at shopping centers.

“Shoppers are going to physical stores (stores) just like they did in 2019,” says the JLL 2022 Retail Holidays Survey Report. “Fewer shoppers are hesitant to shop in person.”

However, the gift-giving budget is expected to drop by 13% as Canadians spend more money on basic things such as rent, groceries and gasoline.

In fact, a recent Canadian CPA survey found that two-thirds of respondents said inflation would make it harder to buy gifts this holiday season.

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More than one in five Canadians expects to borrow money to pay for gifts, according to a CPA Canada poll of more than 2,000 Canadians conducted by Ipsos this fall. I was.

Titheridge is trying to find a good Black Friday sale at the Yorkdale mall, one of Toronto’s largest shopping centres.

“Right now, things are getting expensive, so I’d like to get a bargain,” she said. I have.”

Deloitte Canada said in its 2022 holiday shopping outlook, spending is expected to decline across the holiday season this year amid soaring inflation, recession fears and rising interest rates. .

Marty Weintraub, Deloitte partner and national retail consulting leader, said Canadians will be more price sensitive than usual because they are spending less money on gifts.

“The deal is probably at an all-time high as Canadians look to expand their vacation budgets,” he said.

Even on Black Friday, Canadians are expected to be more selective in their spending this year.

Canadian grocery and consumer products giant Elliott Morris said Canadians who encounter “friction” while shopping, such as product availability and uncompetitive pricing issues, will quickly move on. I’m here.

“The price of that friction today is people delaying purchases or actually forgoing them entirely,” he said. “Price and availability are very important…it doesn’t take long for people to move on.”

On the other hand, many retailers have more inventory than expected. Just as high inflation began to weigh on consumer demand, supply chain headaches caused stores to order items earlier than usual.

This situation can lead to strong promotional activity during the holidays, including December, and even after Christmas.

“As the economy slows, there are clearly areas of inventories that have been piling up by retailers,” Morris said. “If that inventory continues to be on the shelves past the rest of the holiday season, we will see further discounts.”

Meanwhile, Titheridge has about 15 people on her shopping list for Black Friday shopping.

Many of them are relatives in the UK where she plans to spend her vacation.

“Roots and Hatley are hard to come by brands in the UK so I hope they sell well,” she said. “I’m planning to give her husband a present at Banana Republic, hopefully with a big discount.”

And if the price is right, she might even buy a little something for herself, added Titheridge.

“What if the deal goes well and something jumps in?”

© 2022 The Canadian Press