If you drove through the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel for this year’s Black Friday, you may have forgotten that it’s the first holiday shopping occasion without border restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic in three years.
That’s because for most of Friday morning and afternoon, Canadians were able to cross into the U.S. via the Ambassador Bridge or the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel with little to no delay.
“I expected more activity. I mean it’s Black Friday. It’s an American tradition and Canadians always like to participate in American traditions,” said the Windsor, Ont. resident Ronnie Desjardins, who was shopping at a Target store in Dearborn, Michigan.
Shoppers inside told CTV News Windsor the store looked no different than any other Friday, despite clear signs promoting deal after deal.
“I think people are getting tired of the fighting and the drama of holiday shopping,” Desjardins said. “Especially after three years of living in a pandemic and getting used to buying everything online, I think people have changed their consumer habits.
According to data published by Google, 86 percent of shoppers discover brands and products while browsing online. Meanwhile, 89% searched for items online before visiting a physical store.
Turnout across Canada for Black Friday in Detroit appears to be low, despite this year’s Black Friday being the first without pandemic border restrictions since 2019.
Windsor resident Ronnie Desjardins says she’s surprised by the low turnout at the Target store.@CTVWindsor pic.twitter.com/gYpi7ifBkc
— Sanjay Maru (@sanJmaru) November 25, 2022
“There is no one here. It’s just us,” said Sheena McKay, just minutes after walking out of a store in Michigan with two of her friends.
McKay added that he usually crosses the border for Black Friday shopping, except for 2020 and 2021, when border crossings were restricted due to the pandemic.
While shopping for Black Friday 2022, she said there were far fewer Canadian license plates in the lots than she’s used to seeing.
“The deals aren’t that great. In fact, everyone is online. I could have done it all online,” McKay said.
According to Bruce Winter, a retail analyst, in-person store lineups are “thinned out” as shoppers shift to buying products online.
“What we’re seeing is that they may be spending their money a little differently this year,” he said. “They will be looking for more meaningful and practical gifts. They may choose to buy for fewer people than in the past.”
Other Windsorites like Dharmesh Patel said the increased tolls for the bridge and tunnel made the cross-border crossing not worth it.
“While I’m sure there are still deals at certain outlets on items you just can’t find here, it’s still not worth your time,” Patel said.
A CBSA border services agent told CTV News Windsor that traffic to and from the Windsor-Detroit land border was much lower than it usually was during pre-pandemic Black Fridays.
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