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McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Vancouver Airport is busy today for Black Friday.
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Black Friday kicks off holiday shopping season
By Hannah Scott, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
Published 11:23 PST, Fri November 26, 2021
Last Updated: 11:29 PST, Fri November 26, 2021
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With its 52-foot Christmas tree lit, one of Richmond’s major malls is kicking off a holiday shopping season anticipated to come close to pre-pandemic norms.
Despite a drop in customer numbers last year—amounting to a 20 to 25 per cent decline, according to general manager Rob Thurlow—McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Vancouver Airport is anticipating that number will increase by about the same figure, roughly meeting 2019 numbers.
That rise in shopper numbers is projected to happen across the country, according to Deloitte’s 2021 holiday retail outlook. Canadians’ holiday shopping seems set to return to pre-pandemic levels, with average spending estimated at $1,841—31 per cent higher than 2020 and eight per cent higher than 2019.
But some Canadians experienced financial hardship during the pandemic—nearly one in five, according to Deloitte. Those people are expecting to spend an average of $1,400, in comparison to those in a more stable financial situation who are projected to drop an average of $2,118 on holiday gifts.
Thirty-five per cent of Canadians planned to begin shopping before November, and 49 per cent prefer to shop in-store versus online. Concerns with shopping in stores include crowded locations (65 per cent) and risk of COVID-19 exposure (56 per cent).
To avoid crowds, Thurlow suggests people shop mid-week in the morning, as peak hours at McArthurGlen are about noon to 4 or 5 p.m. Black Friday sales, scheduled for today through Sunday, can bring even more people in.
Richmond RCMP and Vancouver International Airport both made note of the traffic delays expected due to the sales at McArthurGlen. Those travelling to the airport should give themselves extra time to catch their flights.
“I think it’s going to be a really good, happy holiday season this year because there’s so much more to look forward to and celebrate than there was last year,” says Thurlow. “There’s a different level of optimism out there right now than there was a year ago. We all need it—it’s been a pretty tough 18 months for everybody. Coming out of this now, it’s great to see some positivity and optimism out there.”
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