Here's what you need to know on this year's Cyber Monday
Black Friday was the busiest shopping day of this year and retailers are now hoping that consumers will keep spending for Cyber Monday.
The Retail Council of Canada (RCC) said retailers are trying to remain optimistic despite having to deal with supply chain issues and labour shortages.
“We have supply chain issues and we have labour challenges, so some retailers expected to have product on their shelves for Black Friday or Cyber Monday and they are still waiting for that product," Michelle Wasylyshen, spokesperson with RCC, told CTV News Toronto on Monday.
A new survey conducted by RCC found that almost half of shoppers planned to buy something on Black Friday and about one third planned to buy something on Cyber Monday.
Moreover, they said 43 per cent planned to shop on Black Friday, 35 per cent on Cyber Monday and 34 per cent on Boxing Day. The survey also found 63 per cent of shoppers plan to make their purchases in store while 37 per cent will shop online.
RCC’s survey also found that 44 per cent of shoppers are concerned about being in crowded stores.
Still, retailers believe many consumers want to get back to their pre-pandemic shopping habits.
"They want to return to their shopping traditions and that includes shopping in stores," Wasylyshen said, adding that the council has seen increased traffic in malls recently.
For anyone searching online for Cyber Monday deals, be careful if you're sent links by email or see special offers in social media.
"In many cases, fraudsters are injecting fraudulent links into our feeds,” CTV News Toronto tech analyst Carmi Levy said. ”If we click on that, from that point forward we're victims.”
Levy said to avoid oversharing personal information which can make it easier for hackers to find out more about you and to always take the time to check the website you're on to make sure it's legitimate.
“In the browser, look for the lock icon and ‘HTTPS’ — ‘S’ stands for secure — if it just says ‘HTTP’ back out of it because that is a sign it’s not a legitimate website,” Levy said.
While Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become huge shopping days, RCC said, because of supply chain issues this year, there may be constant sales up to and including Boxing Day.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
NEW High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
NEW Where to watch the state funeral for former prime minister Brian Mulroney
A state funeral for former prime minister Brian Mulroney will be held in Montreal on March 23. CTV News will have live special coverage of his funeral service.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.