Although lucrative, the sales days of Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday are also synonymous with pressure for many Quebec retailers who have no other choice but to “get in on the game,” they admit.

And for good reason: nearly 42% of Quebec consumers intend to take advantage of these deals this year, an increase of 13 points compared to last year, according to data recently revealed by the Conseil québécois du commerce de retail ( QCCD).

If they want to buy on sale, they also intend to reduce their holiday spending this year, with an 11% drop in the budget spent on gifts for all Canadians compared to 2022, a survey revealed in October carried out by the accounting firm Deloitte. All the more reason for retailers to come together starting this Friday with surprising offers to attract people to their store or website.

“I don’t know if we can call it pressure. It’s a marketing opportunity, actually. I think that SMEs do not have the luxury of missing out,” immediately declares Marie Beaupré, co-founder of Mauvaisesherbes, a company specializing in the preparation and sale of natural body and household care products.

Although these days, which in a way launch the holiday shopping period, encourage, according to many, overconsumption, Ms. Beaupré affirms that the survival of businesses is at stake.

And SMEs who benefited from the Canadian Emergency Business Account (CEBA) during the pandemic have until January 18, 2024 to repay their loan if they want to keep part of it as a grant. Many are therefore counting on the Christmas period to replenish their coffers in order to be able to repay rubbish.

“We are no longer so much in virtue. We want to stay alive, we want to be economically viable. We no longer have the choice to get involved in this,” adds Ms. Beaupré.

Co-founder of the shoe chain The Interval, which has 16 stores across the country, Vicky Scalia also admits she can’t escape this whirlwind.

“Most of our stores are in large shopping centers,” she says. I play against American players. It’s ingrained in the culture. Everyone expects it. Consumers have become very accustomed to this. »

“Customers will wait until Black Friday to do their holiday shopping,” adds Marie Beaupré. You have to offer value, but without putting yourself in a financial hole, she explains. If we come up with 10%, it doesn’t work, customers are used to that. »

To stand out from the crowd and present tempting offers, merchants prepare for this period even before children dress up for Halloween. The email sequence, the announcements on social networks, the identification of the products that will be on sale: nothing is left to chance.

“It’s a job that takes several weeks. We look at the market, our competitors,” says Vicky Scalia.

For Marie Beaupré, preparation is in some ways the crux of the matter, because businesses here are competing against big names. “It’s much more difficult to be seen in all this sea of ​​advertising from big multinationals who have an unlimited budget for that. So we need to start talking about it sooner. It provides different, original offers. »

“When you are a small business, you start with disadvantages compared to large multinationals. The cost of advertising on Facebook and Google increases during this period. »

Despite the pressure, retailers still decided to resist the Black Friday movement. Anne Lspérance, owner of the Belle et Rebelle clothing boutique, is one of them.

“We haven’t participated in it for four or five years,” she says. We did a little introspection and realized that this overconsumption didn’t go at all with our values. It’s an event that comes from American culture. »

Ms. Lesperance, who mainly sells local creations, decided to join Green Friday instead. This movement aims in particular to encourage reflection on ways of consuming by promoting other options. Belle et Rebelle will therefore be organizing a used clothing exchange evening this Friday.

Although she understands that businesses decide to participate in Black Friday, the owner believes that local retailers are not fighting on equal terms against the big guys.

For the little ones, it may be more difficult to make these sales profitable. “With transportation costing $12-13 per package, when you make a small profit margin and you sell at 50%, not counting all the advertising that needs to be done, at some point it’s four thirty under for a piaster. »