How did Black Friday eclipse Boxing Day in Canada?
November 14, 2019The once-uniquely American shopping tradition of Black Friday is now bigger in Canada than Boxing Day.
RCC senior retail advisor Michael LeBlanc says it’s been about a decade in the making.
“It started initially with a desire from Canadians to shop pre-Christmas, and that desire was accelerated when the dollar was at par [with the U.S. dollar],” said LeBlanc.
Some retailers, he explained, started offering Black Friday sales in an attempt to keep consumer dollars from flowing across the border. While the exchange rate has not been as enticing in the last few years, the tradition has staying power because it acts as a convenient starting pistol for spending.
“It gives retailers … something that they lacked in years past, which was this kick-off to the holiday season,” he said.
