NATIONAL REPORT — Large-scale Canadian retailers saw modest spikes in store traffic on Black Friday. In Toronto, some big boxes, especially those advertising storewide promotions, attracted lineups of customers but their numbers were not as high as most years. In Montreal, small lineups were forming by mid-morning at the Eaton Centre, but as in Halifax the scene was generally subdued.
In Alberta, large retailers in Edmonton and Calgary did a brisk trade even though they were limited to 25 percent capacity under provincial rules that went into force that day. In Vancouver, stores were compared to an average day but significantly low usual Black Friday traffic levels.
Online sales were strong across the country, with many retailers opting for extended seasonal promotions and online deals to discourage a one-day surge of in-store traffic.
