Black Friday shoppers opt for online purchases over in-person deals

Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year in the United States of America, but the deals can also be found north of the border in Canada.

Many Canadians went to stores today in search of savings, however, some people said their shopping habits have changed because of the pandemic and inflation.

“I know it’s holding me back, definitely,” said one shopper at Fairview Park Mall in Kitchener. “Usually, we buy gifts for our whole family, but instead we drew names this year, so that kind of cuts some of the Christmas down, which helps.”

According to a survey by Google Canada, 72 per cent of shoppers are concerned about the rising costs of items. Sixty per cent planned to buy less due to inflation, whereas 85 per cent said they will only shop at stores with discounts.

“Although consumers are understandably concerned about inflation and their finances, they are still really looking forward to celebrating the holiday shopping season,” said Michelle Wasylyshen with Retail Council of Canada.

At Best Buy in Kitchener, the sales manager, Chris Brown, called Black Friday “controlled chaos.” He said he is happy to see people shop in person and stores again after two years of pandemic restrictions saw a lot of businesses shift to online shopping. However, he said many people are still choosing to shop online.

“There are still a lot of people opting for our quick and easy pick up,” Brown said. “You can place the order online and we can bring it right out to your car. People are shopping differently than they were before.”

Some shoppers using Black Friday to save big on items they’ve had their eyes on.

“Apple never had a sale, so to even just get a 15 or 20 per cent discount is huge,” said one shopper at Best Buy. “So I can save a couple of hundred dollars today.”