This weekend marks some of the most lucrative days of the year for retailers and great deals for consumers: Black Friday and Cyber Monday. In 2023, the $69.2 billion in sales in November were just above the $69.1 billion Canadian retailers sold in December.
November’s shopping trends reflect not only common holiday gift purchases but also gifts for oneself, like clothing and footwear; audio and video recordings, and game software; jewellery and watches; and personal and beauty products. This sales weekend, large savings can often be had on that big-screen TV you’ve been wanting, or the perfect oven you’ve had your eye on—reflected in the $7.2 billion spent on home furniture, furnishings, housewares, appliances and electronics last year.
December remains the month when most Canadians do their holiday shopping, but the Black Friday–Cyber Monday duo can also be an opportunity for practical purchases. One class of products reached peak sales ($3.3 billion) in November 2023: motor vehicle parts, accessories and supplies. More than one-third ($1.2 billion) were spent on new tires, an indication of peak winter tire changeover season.
Lots of shopping at home or stateside
Not all Canadians choose to stay in the country to take advantage of Black Friday and holiday deals, however. In the fourth quarter of 2023, 1.2 million Canadian residents reported spending $286 million during trips to the United States with the main purpose of non-routine shopping.
Still, enough Canadians appear to be parking their dollars at home. When surveyed in the third quarter of 2024, about one-third (32.3%) of businesses in the retail sector said their current level of total sales revenue was about the same as levels before the COVID-19 pandemic.
More than one-quarter of retail businesses (26.5%) reported sales that were somewhat higher than pre-pandemic levels, while 4.7% said they were significantly higher. Conversely, 17.8% of retail businesses reported significantly lower sales, while 18.6% said they were somewhat lower.
Looking ahead
This weekend marks the first time in five years that Cyber Monday will occur in December, providing the opportunity for Statistics Canada to analyze which day might tip the scales: the traditional Friday shop or the newer, e-commerce juggernaut.
Retail sales data for the November reference month will be released on January 23, 2024, while December’s numbers will be released on February 21, 2025. Stay tuned!
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Contact information
For more information, contact the Statistical Information Service (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).