Shorter holiday shopping season ups pressure on retailers and consumers

When the Retail Council of Canada and Leger surveyed 2,510 people about holiday shopping over the summer and fall, 26 per cent said they wouldn’t start spending on the occasion until Black Friday or sometime after. Even shoppers who began earlier in the year put plenty of importance on Black Friday. The council found Black Friday remains the top holiday shopping day for Canadians, with 84 per cent deeming it significant in terms of spending, followed by Cyber Monday (Week 1 of December). Yet Santo Ligotti, vice-president of marketing and member services for the Retail Council of Canada, argued timing likely won’t weigh on retailers much. ‘When this holiday is later, I don’t think it impacts them as much because people are shopping earlier and the retailers are giving deals just as early.

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