Quebecers experience different Boxing Day from previous years

In a different economic context than last year, with international competition fiercer and more unfair than ever and less than two weeks after the end of the Canada Post strike, the Boxing Day sales will certainly be different from those of previous years, says the Quebec Retail Council (CQCD).

A survey conducted by the CQCD among consumers shows that 73 per cent of them say they are worried about their financial situation, which is pushing them to review their purchasing strategy as these discount periods approach.

According to the CEO of the CQCD, Damien Silès, more people have decided this year to wait for discount days, such as Black Friday or Boxing Day. Last year, 40 per cent of them waited for these big discount days to make their purchases, compared to 56 per cent this year.

“Last year, it was more spread out over time and we see that this year, the sale dates are very important for consumers, more so than last year,” explained Silès in an interview with The Canadian Press. “We see that in terms of people’s desire, the desire is to use discount days to be able to buy.”

“It remains a well-established tradition, but we see that there are still economic problems for consumers, an increase in online purchases and a very long discount period.”

For Silès, there is no doubt that the Canada Post strike had a significant impact on sales during this year’s Boxing Day.

“The Canada Post strike changed consumers’ paradigms for a month, pushing them more towards online sales,” he added. We can see the aggressiveness of online sites that took advantage of the Canada Post strike.”

An “often unfair international competition”

The international situation also has its say in the end-of-year sales. For Silès, Quebec retailers have little choice but to adapt to a global trade that disregards Canadian regulations.

“We are in a global context where you can buy very cheap items on websites with catastrophic quality in 24 hours,” explains the CEO of the CQCD. The average merchant is therefore forced to react to this, otherwise he dies, because it is often unfair international competition.”

He deplores the obligation that local merchants have to comply with a multitude of security criteria while thousands of uncontrolled items from abroad will be able to enter the territory. In an open letter sent three weeks ago to Ottawa, the CQCD and some twenty companies asked the federal government to act to ensure that the laws are applied.

“What we were asking for was the possibility of controlling, verifying and allowing fair and loyal trade, which is far from being the case at present,” explained Silès. “In China, we will manufacture the same product (as here), without manufacturing rights, and, in 24 hours, they will be able to flood the Quebec market at ridiculous prices, without being controlled or verified.”

Faced with fierce international competition, Quebec merchants are adapting, in particular with the development of circular trade, which is increasingly important, or even eco-responsible marketing.

According to Silès, Boxing Day sales represent up to 40 per cent of Quebec’s annual retail sales, which total nearly $178 billion in sales, or 7 per cent of GDP.

Despite all that, Silès still expects a “very busy” Boxing Day. However, he wants to remind consumers to be respectful and smile when dealing with merchants who welcome customers into their stores all day long.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews