Not all Montreal retailers embrace Black Friday as supply, staff shortages take toll
CBC
On Thursday, while Americans feasted on turkey and pie, it was business as usual at Terre à soi, an eco-friendly grocer in Montreal's east end.
But, as most retail businesses open for crazed Black Friday shoppers eager to jump on once-a-year deals, Terre à soi will be closed.
"Our values are more important than the money we could've made," said Sebastein Guertin, the store's district manager.
In the past, the store has donated Black Friday profits to charity. But this year, due to supply issues and staffing shortages, management decided to go even further.
"The big event that is Black Friday puts a lot of pressure for our suppliers, for the employees, and we want to avoid that," he said.
Clicking on the store's website shows a big "black out" sticker warning customers the store is closed.
"After the last 20 months that we have just gone through, I wanted to listen to my heart — to make a concrete gesture in direct connection with our corporate values," said the store's owner, Annie Martel, in a statement
Staff will still work Friday, decorating the store for the holidays and doing team activities, the statement says.
Sam Papoutsis, owner of Mile End Kicks Shoes store, on the other hand, has no plans to participate in Black Friday — a once-uniquely American shopping tradition that is now bigger in Canada than Boxing Day.
"For us, it's just another regular day and if we make a couple of extra sales, that's great," he said.
He doesn't foresee much different happening on Black Friday.
"I'm not expecting lineups. I'm just expecting people to come back and shop normally," said Papoutsis.
Francis Mailly, director of government relations for the Retail Council of Canada, says it has been a difficult year for many.
"The supply chain and labour issues are two major problems that are putting a lot of pressures on stock for many retailers which, for sure, it could have pressure on prices," said Mailly.
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