Black Friday arrives with less fanfare than usual as retailers extend sales and consumers shop early.
Stores offer discounts for weeks, to encourage consumers to buy early to avoid potential product shortages caused by problems in the supply chain.
The situation has thrown a lid on Black Friday itself, originally a one-day event marking the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season.
Black Friday has been expanding for years as retailers try to maximize sales by offering discounts earlier in the fall, says Anwar White, of McGill University’s Bensadon School of Retail.
He believes that the pandemic has accelerated that trend, as uncertainty and supply chain issues have pushed sales forward even more.
But while Black Friday won’t be as big as it was before the pandemic, White predicts Canadians will head to malls and supermarkets 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 out,” he said. “But sales aren’t going to boost that much. When you’re shopping on Black Friday, there’s a different energy and she’s saying ‘Okay, now it’s Christmas.'”
