Omicron threatens sales on Boxing Day, increasingly overshadowed by Black Friday

The Omicron variant threatens to tamp down retail sales on Boxing Day, as COVID-19 concerns rise along with case counts and pandemic restrictions.

While Black Friday had already overtaken Dec. 26 as the go-to shopping day of the season, pandemic restrictions and concerns over surging COVID-19 cases may deepen the sales disparity as more consumers stay home for the holidays.

The Retail Council of Canada, whose annual holiday survey in August found that Nov. 26 could be the biggest shopping event of the year, now says it will further overshadow Boxing Day after fears of the Omicron variant shot up in early December.

Capacity restrictions in at least six provinces including Ontario and Quebec will have a minimal impact on outlets that are accustomed to adapting to the measures, said retail council spokesman Karl Littler.

But none of those thresholds were in place for Black Friday, and both it and Boxing Day are associated with long lines and crowded floors, potentially dissuading customers.