Black Friday spending up in 2021, Shopify says; Plus, 5 of the hottest items
Shopify says shoppers broke a Black Friday record this year, with more than $2.9 billion in sales on its platforms, and a lot of shoppers got their bargains during the lunch hour.
The Ottawa-based e-commerce company says shoppers also spent more, on average, this year than they did last year, and more than two thirds of sales came from mobile devices.
The peak selling hour was 12 p.m. ET, with shoppers worldwide spending $3.1 million per minute at around 12:02 p.m. Shopify said a billion dollars in sales had already been made by 4 a.m. ET, four hours earlier than 2020.
Ottawa ranked fourth in the top five Canadian cities where shoppers were buying from, with Toronto topping the list. Calgary and Montreal were second and third, respectively, and Vancouver came in fifth. Ottawa also appeared in the top five for the most curbside pickup orders and local delivery orders.
Companies like Trexity are benefiting from that desire to have goods delivered to our doors.
“We’ve become a lot more accustomed to having things brought to us, it’s the convenience factor,” said CEO and co-founder Alok Ahuja. “But also, I think people in general are starting to value more time. I think getting things delivered is you putting a value on how important your time is.”
Shopify says its average cart price was $150.11 CAD, up from $128.50 last year, according to the company's statistics. Sixty-seven per cent of orders in Canada were made on a mobile device, up from 61 per cent. Last year's Black Friday sales total was $2.4 billion.
Clothes and accessories were the most popular items, followed by home and garden items, health and beauty products, food and beverages, and toys and games. Food and drink topped the list for local delivery orders.
Shoppers in London, England topped Shopify's global charts for sales. New York, Los Angeles, Brooklyn, and Chicago rounded out the top five cities worldwide.
Michelle Wasylshen, with the Retail Council of Canada, says the market is shifting to a blend of online and in-person shopping.
“Although online shopping is going to continue to be important, there’s certainly going to be a blend between the physical and online stores; that’s important now, and I think you’ll continue to see that evolve,” she explained, while adding that Black Friday's growth in 2021 is a sign people are feeling more confident. “Consumers are far more optimistic than they were last year and they have really have a strong desire to return to more normal holiday traditions and that includes shopping in stores.”
HOTTEST ITEMS IN 2021
According to Shopify, its top trending items are The Nugget couch, Luna Leggings, the HydroJug Black Friday bundle, the Luxe Core sheet set from Brooklinen, and the Perfect Pot.
The average cart price worldwide was $101.20 USD, up from $90.70 last year.
The company also says 23,000+ tonnes of carbon removal was funded to counteract emissions from the delivery of every order placed on Shopify’s platform on Black Friday
Shopify powers more than 1.7 million merchants worldwide in 175 countries.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Most of the city is evacuating': Gridlock on Alberta highway after evacuation order in Fort McMurray
Four Fort McMurray neighbourhoods were ordered to evacuate on Tuesday as a wildfire gets closer to the city.
Biden administration moving ahead on US$1 billion arms package for Israel, AP sources say
The Biden administration has told key lawmakers it is sending a new package of more than US$1 billion in arms and ammunition to Israel, two congressional aides said Tuesday.
'Inappropriate' behaviour shuts down Dublin to New York City portal
Less than a week after two public sculptures featuring a livestream between Dublin, Ireland, and New York City debuted, 'inappropriate behaviour' in real-time interactions between people in the two cities has prompted a temporary shutdown.
Maximum payout for LifeLabs class-action drops from $150 estimate to $7.86
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
Sask. police seize 1.5M pieces of evidence, lay 60 more charges in child exploitation case
Saskatchewan RCMP have revealed that a historic sexual assault investigation has led to the discovery of alleged crimes against children dating back to 2005.
King Charles III unveils his first official portrait since his coronation
King Charles III has unveiled the first portrait of the monarch completed since he assumed the throne, a vivid image that depicts him in the bright red uniform of the Welsh Guards against a background of similar hues.
Full List Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
About 1,000 wildfires confirmed so far this year: Here's a quick look at the situation in Canada
Nearly 1,000 wildfires have burned across Canada so far this year. Here's an overview of the situation in Canada.
American sought after 'So I raped you' Facebook message detained in France on 2021 warrant
An American accused of sexually assaulting a Pennsylvania college student in 2013 and later sending her a Facebook message that said, 'So I raped you,' has been detained in France after a three-year search.