A Black Friday Sale sign outside Murdoch's Gem Shop on Main Street. Photo Courtesy of Macklen Linke/CKRW.
Whitehorse, YT – As Black Friday sales kick off Canada’s holiday shopping season the Territories have emerged as the leader of spending growth according to payment service provider Moneris.
Moneris data shows a 32 percent increase in Black Friday spending in the Territories in 2023 compared to the previous week, the largest jump nationwide. The growth was fueled by a 21 percent rise in transaction size, well above the national average of 7 percent.
Across Canada, Black Friday spending rose by 23 percent week-over-week.
Data tracked 12 different industries and eight of them saw substantial growth in the territories on Black Friday. The automotive sector saw the largest boost in spending last year.
Kipling Macartney, Moneris Director of Emerging Solutions, credits more frequent and lower-cost delivery in the provinces as pushing many Northerners to shop in person to avoid higher shipping fees.
“I think what we’re seeing is a bigger push in the territories to a face-to-face experience and Black Friday really drives that,” said Macartney. “I think it’s a comeback for the face-to-face experience as retailers bring out those Black Friday sales and it’s something to come out and celebrate.”
In contrast, Cyber Monday showed a less dramatic trend with spending in the territories dipping by 3 percent week-over-week. Instead of offering discounts on a single day, many retailers begin offering holiday deals after Halloween and stretch their online deals over weeks.
“It’s really ‘Cyber November.’ People are using November as the ramp-up to the holidays,” said Macartney. “That’s an opportunity for retailers to stretch out that season and maybe bring a few additional sales into their store.”
