November overtakes December as Canada's busiest shopping month
November overtakes December as Canada's busiest shopping month
November has overtaken December as the busiest shopping month for Canadian consumers, according to the Retail Council of Canada (RCC).
Boxing Day was once Canada’s busiest shopping day of the year, but the popularity of Black Friday and Cyber Monday have made them top days for consumers to open their wallets.
"Based on Moneris’ predictive data we are expecting to see Black Friday as the reigning champion of the busiest day of the year and that's in transactions and dollar amount," David Litwin, spokesperson for Moneris Canada, told CTV News Toronto Thursday.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are shopping traditions that started in the United States. Canadians have adopted the event with enthusiasm over the past decade.
The RCC agrees that Black Friday is now the busiest shopping day of the year for Canadians and that it is really the kickoff to the Canadian holiday shopping season as well.
“It's really a week-long event, it's not really just Black Friday or Cyber Monday, it's really a week-long showcase event that continues throughout the holiday season,” Michelle Wasylyshen, with RCC, told CTV News Toronto in an interview.
New data also shows Canadians are shopping earlier than ever and that November has now overtaken December as the busiest shopping month of the year.
“We are seeing that most consumers don’t want to shop a few days before Christmas and they want to avoid the hectic rush, so November does now seem to be the busiest time when people are getting their shopping done,” Wasylyshen said.
A survey by Google Canada found that 72 per cent of shoppers are concerned about the rising costs of items. Sixty per cent said they plan to buy less due to inflation and 85 per cent plan to shop at stores offering discounts.
RCC believes even though Canadians are more money conscious heading into this holiday season, it will still be a good season for retailers.
"Although consumers are understandably concerned about inflation and their finances, they are still really looking forward to celebrating the holiday shopping season," Wasylyshen said.
While Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year for combined online and in-store sales, Moneris said that Cyber Monday is the busiest day for total online sales.
Former Mississauga, Ont. mayor Hazel McCallion, nicknamed 'Hurricane Hazel,' has died. She was 101 years old. Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced McCallion's death in a news release early Sunday morning.
After years of reports and allegations detailing a 'toxic' workplace, Canada's RCMP says it is trying to evolve, focusing on diversity in its organization and repairing relationships with communities as it marks its 150th anniversary.
Canadian police chiefs condemned on Friday the death of a Black man who was savagely beaten by police during a traffic stop in the United States, saying the officers involved must be held accountable.
When the cold and snow have people hunkering down, these outdoor enthusiasts find motivation in braving the Canadian winter through community and sport.
When 1990s suede fringe jackets started making a comeback last year, a U.K.-based vintage clothing company decided to order four tonnes of suede from a supplier in the United States. Along with that shipment came a once-in-a lifetime discovery.
The Memphis police chief on Saturday disbanded the unit whose officers beat to death Tyre Nichols as the nation and the city struggled to come to grips with video showing police pummelling the Black motorist.
According to a new study, showing university students the health risks of vaping through experts and personal testimonies can help deter them from using e-cigarettes.
Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos insists the federal government is going to 'work flexibly' with the provinces on the terms of a possible health-care funding deal and avoid 'micromanaging' how they deliver health care to Canadians.
Health Canada says it will continue to recommend COVID-19 prevention drug, Evulsheld, despite U.S. FDA pulling back its emergency use authorization due to concerns around its efficacy against Omicron subvariant 'Kraken.'
Some Indigenous communities in Quebec that are patrolled by provincial police say the established system does not fully meet security needs and needs improvement.
Anti-poverty activists are praising the Quebec basic income program as a good step toward helping people meet their basic needs — but say strict eligibility criteria exclude many of the province’s lowest-income residents.
A ceremony will be held this evening to mark the sixth anniversary of Quebec City's deadly mosque shooting. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, several senior federal cabinet ministers and Quebec Premier Francois Legault are among those expected to attend.
The supporters outnumbered the protesters more than 20-to-one. As drag queen Amanda Villa prepared to sing and read to children in Sarnia, a small group of protesters marched outside, while more than 100 supporters of the rally “All You Need is Love” spent time chasing them around the parking lot, and having peaceful discussions about acceptance and hate.
Only a few days after a large winter weather system rolled through southern Ontario, Environment Canada has once again issued a special weather statement for the London region, warning of a snow-rain mix expected to begin Saturday night.
Upwards of 300 athletes are in London, Ont. this weekend for a major tournament. But the visitors are not here for any sport you might be expecting, including hockey or figure skating — they are taking part in the Forest City Invitational Dodgeball Tournament.
The Region of Waterloo has lost a court bid for an injunction to evict residents of an encampment on municipally owned land at Victoria Street North and Weber Street West in Kitchener.
A drag queen show in Elora will continue Saturday night as planned, despite organizers saying concerns were raised after online comments targeted the event.
With art displays and activities to bring out the best of winter for a one-day festival of fun, Winterloo has returned after three years of pandemic alterations.
Northern supporters of the ‘Freedom Convoy’ mark the anniversary of last winter's demonstrations across Canada by holding a gathering of their own this weekend in North Bay.
W5 goes deep into the narco heartland to interview a commander with one of Mexico's most brutal cartels. W5's documentary 'Narco Avocados' airs Saturday at 7 pm on CTV.
More than 50 people came out on Saturday for a walk, organized by the Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury through the Laurentian University 'green space.' The 200 hectare piece of land has been a concern for many, given the questions around the university's financial stability and debts.
Ottawa police and Bylaw Services officers issued 81 parking tickets and 20 Provincial Offences Notices on Saturday, as hundreds of people marked the one-year anniversary of the 'Freedom Convoy'.
Ottawa police are warning the public of the dangers of texting explicit images to people on social media platforms, after seeing a spike in sextortion cases this winter.
It's been more than three months since a Windsor-based fitness instructor and former hockey player took his own life — but his legacy is living on through a new fundraiser which organizers hope will spark new conversations about mental health for years to come
Windsor will see a mixed bag of snow and rain when it comes to weekend weather before it gives way to sunshine early next week, according to Environment Canada.
Some faculty members at Cape Breton University have walked off the job. Their strike started Friday, with the faculty's union saying the administration has disrespected it at every turn, leading to a large number of labour grievances.
As extreme cold weather brings wind chill values nearing -40°C, it's impacting everything from winter recreation to the city's most vulnerable population.
BC Emergency Health Services saw a slight decline in 911 calls for overdose and drug toxicity last year, but some areas saw a dramatic increase, and the death rate doesn’t appear to be slowing down.
Advocates are predicting this year's Metro Vancouver Homeless Count will be higher than previous years' due to lingering impacts from the pandemic, job losses and inflation.
An organization helping Ukrainian newcomers settle into their new lives in Edmonton is hosting a furniture donation blitz to help restock their warehouse.
Canadian police chiefs condemned on Friday the death of a Black man who was savagely beaten by police during a traffic stop in the United States, saying the officers involved must be held accountable.
