The physical rush of Black Friday and the armchair browsing of Cyber Monday are increasingly blending into one big holiday shopping event as more customers buy items online and pick them up at brick-and-mortar stores.
Adobe Analytics reported Saturday that more customers are going to stores to get items they bought online. That trend contributed to a record $6.22 billion spent online Friday, up nearly 24 per cent from last year.
But the fastest-growing online shopping day is Thanksgiving. Online sales totaled $3.7 billion on Thursday, up 28 per cent from last year.
Get breaking National news
It’s a sign that retailers are merging online business with their physical stores even as fewer people travel to those stores on Black Friday. Walmart, Kohl’s and Target are among major retailers that are expanding the number of stores where shoppers can pick up online orders.
- Chinese EV issue part of U.S. trade talks, Mexico foreign secretary says
- The Canada Child Benefit goes out on Monday and gets a small increase
- ‘I feel so bad and so trapped’: Rogers customer falls victim to sophisticated delivery scam
- IBC estimates $230M in insured damage claimed from Edmonton storms
WATCH ABOVE: Black Friday USA vs. Canada
Adobe says a record $2.1 billion in sales were done from customers on their smartphones. About a third of online Black Friday sales were made from phones.
ShopperTrak, which tracks Black Friday foot traffic, reported Saturday there was a 1.7 per cent decline from last year. But the research firm predicts that eight of the season’s 10 busiest in-person shopping days are still to come, aided by the fact that this year there are four Saturdays in December before Christmas.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.