Ottawa shoppers head to the malls for Cyber Monday deals

Inside the St. Laurent Shopping Centre, sales in almost every store ranged from 40 to 70 per cent off on Cyber Monday.

Shoppers got a head start on their Christmas shopping, getting the most bang for their buck, including Mark Nui.

"When I do see something that's a percentage off, like 50 to 70, yes, I will take a peek and see if there's something that my family would need," Nui said.

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It's been a record weekend for retailers across the world with Ottawa's Shopify reportedly setting a new sales record on Black Friday. Global sales reaching $5 billion USD, and Cyber Monday is expected to reach over $13 billion.

However, according to the Retail Council of Canada, shoppers are being more cautious with their spending, as retailers have experienced a decline in sales throughout the year.

"Usually, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the busiest retail days. They still are. But it's been a sluggish year for retail," said Matt Poirier, Vice President of Federal Government Relations with the Retail Council of Canada.

"Generally, because of inflation and other factors. That puts a lot of pressure on people's pocketbooks."

With the lingering effects of inflation and the ongoing Canada Post strike, Poirier says it's a difficult to retailers during the holiday season.

"Retailers have been trying really hard all year to entice people into store with big discounts. It's certainly a trend that we've been seeing, but the fact of inflation is that stuff costs more now," Poirier said. "People go in and expect to be paying more, but it's not just because they want to buy more, it's because they know that stuff costs more."

He adds most Canadians say they're waiting for Dec. 14 to do their holiday shopping, when the National GST break is set to kick in.

"You'll certainly save then, but you might end up saving more buying right now," Poirier said. "It's really important for Canadians to know that not to hold off on their spending because they might be forgoing some really good deals at this point too."

Even with inflation being where it is for Canadians, Poirier says the spending will continue up until Christmas.

"Most people, even though they know it's going to cost them more than maybe in previous years, are still doing it, because that's the tradition, to give gifts and what not on Christmas," Poirier said.

"Certainly, we're welcoming of the tax holiday because Canadians do need a break and it's coming at a very important time for us in retail. Even though we get a lot of sales and foot traffic in the lead up to the holidays, right after, in early January, in early February is the worst time for retail," Poirier added.

Cyber week deals are expected to stay in effect throughout the next couple of days.