Black Friday arrives with less fanfare than usual as retailers extend the sales period and consumers shop early.
Stores have been offering discounts for weeks, encouraging consumers to buy early to avoid possible product shortages caused by problems in the supply chain.
The situation threw a veil on Black Friday itself, originally a one-day event that marked the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season.
Anwar White, of McGill University’s Bensadoun School of Retailing, says Black Friday has been expanding for years as retailers try to maximize sales by offering discounts earlier in the fall.
He believes the pandemic has accelerated that trend, however, as uncertainty and supply chain issues have pushed the sales even further.
But while Black Friday won’t be as big as it was before the pandemic, White predicts Canadians will be heading to malls and big box stores on Friday in search of bargains and holiday spirit.
“There is always something special about Black Friday and there are still people who are really going to come out,” he said. “But that won’t be greatly boosted by the sales. When you shop on Black Friday there is a different energy and it really says “OK, now it’s Christmas”. ”