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Canadian shoppers hunt for Black Friday deals amid inflation, longer sales – Global News

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11 months ago

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As scores of shoppers pack local malls to hunt for Black Friday deals, Dianne Debarros will be on the lookout for discounted toys and laptops her kids will soon need for school.

The Sarnia, Ont., woman has already started her Christmas shopping but wants to supplement her purchases on a trip to Real Canadian Superstore, where the chain is doling out loyalty program points in exchange for $100 in purchases in some of its departments.

“I feel like the last couple of years, the sales and the prices weren’t very good, but this year the prices seem to be reasonable and the incentives are there,” Debarros said. She and her partner, Tom, run a deal-hunting social media account on Instagram and TikTok.

The annual wave of discounts, door crashers and sales timed to the holiday season will be especially welcomed by Canadians who are feeling stressed about money this year.

Inflation remains above the Bank of Canada’s two per cent target, keeping prices high for household goods and big ticket purchases, even as higher interest rates are causing many homeowners’ mortgage payments to balloon.



5:41
Canadians expected to spend less this holiday season


The confluence of factors is encouraging more Canadians to seek deals and even pare back their holiday spending.

Deloitte predicts the average Canadian shopper will spend $1,347 this holiday season, down 11 per cent from last year.

Roughly half of the more than 1,000 Canadians the consultancy company surveyed plan to buy only what their family needs this holiday season. Seventy-oneper cent will seek items on sale and 29 per cent will seek less expensive retailers to shop at.

“Canadians are looking to really stretch their dollar,” said Debarros.

Together, the couple doles out advice on how to save money on shopping trips – making Black Friday a prime time of year.

However, the day wasn’t always one of the biggest shopping occasions.

Its origins date back to the 1960s, when people would flock to Philadelphia near U.S. Thanksgiving and an annual army football game hosted in the city. Police reportedly had to work long hours and cope with an influx of sometimes rowdy visitors, inspiring them to begin calling the period Black Friday.



1:26
Retailers prepare for Black Friday despite concerns over consumer spending


Retailers – hoping to lure in customers – eventually adopted the name and started using the date to offer sales. Over time, Black Friday sales spread across the country and in more recent years, to Canada.

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Now, it’s so routine for stores to offer Black Friday sales that many have extended the practice through the month of November.

But some argue the lengthier nature of the sales period has made the day itself less important to Canadians.

“The Black Friday day has lost its lustre,” said Nick Muriella, vice-president of merchandising and supply chain at Toys “R” Us Canada.

His observation came a week before Black Friday. By then, many stores had already been offering sales since the start of November, so he concluded Black Friday has “just become another way to say sale.”

Staples Canada began its sales on Nov. 1 because it noticed consumers shopping earlier.

“They’re really trying to not leave it last minute,” said Rachel Huckle, the retailer’s president and chief operating officer.

“What we’ve heard from many customers is that when they’ve left it last minute, they’re usually rushing and as a result, they’re making maybe decisions that they wouldn’t have made from a certain price point out of frankly, desperation.”



4:14
Getting the most out of Black Friday shopping


To alleviate some of that rush, the chain introduced guarantees that some of its products will not see their prices drop further this holiday season, so shoppers can have confidence in their purchases.

Despite the elongated sales and the guarantee, Huckle still expects to see people pack her company’s stores on Black Friday because many will see it as the day they ramp up their shopping.

Others, she said, will be “creatures of habit.”

“I still think we’re going to have those that are last minute, that will still continue to shop throughout the season.”

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Carry On Canadian Business. Carry On!

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16 hours ago

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October 22, 2024

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business to start in Canada

Human Resources Officers must be very busy these days what with the general turnover of employees in our retail and business sectors. It is hard enough to find skilled people let alone potential employees willing to be trained. Then after the training, a few weeks go by then they come to you and ask for a raise. You refuse as there simply is no excess money in the budget and away they fly to wherever they come from, trained but not willing to put in the time to achieve that wanted raise.

I have had potentials come in and we give them a test to see if they do indeed know how to weld, polish or work with wood. 2-10 we hire, and one of those is gone in a week or two. Ask that they want overtime, and their laughter leaving the building is loud and unsettling. Housing starts are doing well but way behind because those trades needed to finish a project simply don’t come to the site, with delay after delay. Some people’s attitudes are just too funny. A recent graduate from a Ivy League university came in for an interview. The position was mid-management potential, but when we told them a three month period was needed and then they would make the big bucks they disappeared as fast as they arrived.

Government agencies are really no help, sending us people unsuited or unwilling to carry out the jobs we offer. Handing money over to staffing firms whose referrals are weak and ineffectual. Perhaps with the Fall and Winter upon us, these folks will have to find work and stop playing on the golf course or cottaging away. Tried to hire new arrivals in Canada but it is truly difficult to find someone who has a real identity card and is approved to live and work here. Who do we hire? Several years ago my father’s firm was rocking and rolling with all sorts of work. It was a summer day when the immigration officers arrived and 30+ employees hit the bricks almost immediately. The investigation that followed had threats of fines thrown at us by the officials. Good thing we kept excellent records, photos and digital copies. We had to prove the illegal documents given to us were as good as the real McCoy.

Restauranteurs, builders, manufacturers, finishers, trades-based firms, and warehousing are all suspect in hiring illegals, yet that becomes secondary as Toronto increases its minimum wage again bringing our payroll up another $120,000. Survival in Canada’s financial and business sectors is questionable for many. Good luck Chuck!. at least your carbon tax refund check should be arriving soon.

Steven Kaszab
Bradford, Ontario
skaszab@yahoo.ca

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Imperial to cut prices in NWT community after low river prevented resupply by barges

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19 hours ago

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October 22, 2024

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NORMAN WELLS, N.W.T. – Imperial Oil says it will temporarily reduce its fuel prices in a Northwest Territories community that has seen costs skyrocket due to low water on the Mackenzie River forcing the cancellation of the summer barge resupply season.

Imperial says in a Facebook post it will cut the air transportation portion that’s included in its wholesale price in Norman Wells for diesel fuel, or heating oil, from $3.38 per litre to $1.69 per litre, starting Tuesday.

The air transportation increase, it further states, will be implemented over a longer period.

It says Imperial is closely monitoring how much fuel needs to be airlifted to the Norman Wells area to prevent runouts until the winter road season begins and supplies can be replenished.

Gasoline and heating fuel prices approached $5 a litre at the start of this month.

Norman Wells’ town council declared a local emergency on humanitarian grounds last week as some of its 700 residents said they were facing monthly fuel bills coming to more than $5,000.

“The wholesale price increase that Imperial has applied is strictly to cover the air transportation costs. There is no Imperial profit margin included on the wholesale price. Imperial does not set prices at the retail level,” Imperial’s statement on Monday said.

The statement further said Imperial is working closely with the Northwest Territories government on ways to help residents in the near term.

“Imperial Oil’s decision to lower the price of home heating fuel offers immediate relief to residents facing financial pressures. This step reflects a swift response by Imperial Oil to discussions with the GNWT and will help ease short-term financial burdens on residents,” Caroline Wawzonek, Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance and Infrastructure, said in a news release Monday.

Wawzonek also noted the Territories government has supported the community with implementation of a fund supporting businesses and communities impacted by barge cancellations. She said there have also been increases to the Senior Home Heating Subsidy in Norman Wells, and continued support for heating costs for eligible Income Assistance recipients.

Additionally, she said the government has donated $150,000 to the Norman Wells food bank.

In its declaration of a state of emergency, the town said the mayor and council recognized the recent hike in fuel prices has strained household budgets, raised transportation costs, and affected local businesses.

It added that for the next three months, water and sewer service fees will be waived for all residents and businesses.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.

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U.S. vote has Canadian business leaders worried about protectionist policies: KPMG

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19 hours ago

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October 22, 2024

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TORONTO – A new report says many Canadian business leaders are worried about economic uncertainties related to the looming U.S. election.

The survey by KPMG in Canada of 735 small- and medium-sized businesses says 87 per cent fear the Canadian economy could become “collateral damage” from American protectionist policies that lead to less favourable trade deals and increased tariffs

It says that due to those concerns, 85 per cent of business leaders in Canada polled are reviewing their business strategies to prepare for a change in leadership.

The concerns are primarily being felt by larger Canadian companies and sectors that are highly integrated with the U.S. economy, such as manufacturing, automotive, transportation and warehousing, energy and natural resources, as well as technology, media and telecommunications.

Shaira Nanji, a KPMG Law partner in its tax practice, says the prospect of further changes to economic and trade policies in the U.S. means some Canadian firms will need to look for ways to mitigate added costs and take advantage of potential trade relief provisions to remain competitive.

Both presidential candidates have campaigned on protectionist policies that could cause uncertainty for Canadian trade, and whoever takes the White House will be in charge during the review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement in 2026.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2024.

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