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A classic carol may claim Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, but Black Friday weekend is the most important time for retailers.
For many shoppers, the Black Friday weekend (Nov. 29-Dec. 1) is the starter’s pistol to the holiday season with Deloitte Canada’s annual holiday retail survey finding 67 per cent of Canadians’ holiday shopping budget will be spent this weekend or thereafter.
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Devonshire Mall property manager Aaron Edwards said that survey figure is reflective of the local experience.
“We’re expecting over 110,000 visitors over the three days of Black Friday weekend,” Edwards said of an anticipated record weekend of visitors and sales.
“We can track the foot traffic in real time. At the peak time, between 5 and 8 p.m., we’ll have north of 5,000 people in the mall at any given time. November and December are two big months for us.”
The Windsor area was one of the earliest adopters in Canada of the Black Friday shopping frenzy, said Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce interim CEO/president Tony Haddad.
The concept has since spread across Canada and even some European countries have embraced the retail marketing magic.
“Being a border city, we were more exposed to the traditional U.S. Thanksgiving holiday and the weekend that kicked off the holiday shopping season,” Haddad said. “It’s become contagious and good for business.
“It’s allowed many retailers to get a head start on the holiday season and piggyback on U.S. Thanksgiving to engage with their customers.”
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And Canadians appear to be more in a spending mood this year.
The Deloitte Canada holiday retail survey forecasts Canadians will each spend an average of $1,478 this year. That’s a 10 per cent increase over 2023, but still less than pre-COVID levels of $1,706 in 2019.
The increased spending comes despite Canadians’ concerns about the cost of housing/rent, credit card debt and how to pay for the gifts all remaining as high as in 2023 when holiday spending declined.
“This year’s holiday season will be marked by a critical search for the best deals, both in-store and online,” said Marty Weintraub, a Deloitte Canada retail leader.
“Canadians will be presented with an abundance of choice as they navigate an increasingly crowded retail landscape and a shorter, more competitive holiday shopping season.”
Both Haddad and Edwards said local retailers are optimistic about this year’s shopping season. Many Devonshire Mall retailers have taken on extra space and stock to be ready for what they feel will be increased demand.
Devonshire Mall in 2024 is enjoying its highest sales-per-square-foot year in its 54-year history, according to Edwards.
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“Black Friday weekend has grown in importance for our retailers,” he said. “We’ve seen an increase in Black Friday foot traffic of 62 per cent from 2012 to 2023.
“We’ve seen very high sales of gift cards so far and that’s usually a sign it’ll be a good holiday shopping season. We saw, starting with the back-to-school sales figures, there’s money out there to spend.
“Based on the analytics from companies’ head offices, it all points to a successful Black Friday weekend.”
Edwards added the mall has tried to foster a more relaxed shopping experience than the door-crashing scenes common in the U.S., by scattering the sales and promotions being offered throughout each day and over the weekend.
The mall will also extend its hours to 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. A complete rundown of the mall’s promotions and sales is available on Devonshire’s website (devonshiremall.com).
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Haddad said the Windsor-Essex chamber of commerce continues its promotion of shopping and dining locally with its online We Support Local program.
Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island has also put out its sixth annual Holiday Gift Guide which can also be accessed online.
“I think there’s an overall level of optimism with the current economy having a positive effect on all sectors,” Haddad said.
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