Canadians hunting for Black Friday deals did so without facing long lines or crowded shopping malls this year, as an extended period of sales and decades-high inflation weighs on consumers and prompts some to rein in spending.

Retailers have stretched deals over several weeks and offered similar discounts online, taking some of the frenzy out of the holiday shopping event.

Several big box stores in the Greater Toronto Area, such as Best Buy and Walmart, lacked the usual early morning lineups that once epitomized Black Friday.

The Eaton Centre in the heart of Toronto appeared busy around lunchtime, but closer to a typical Friday rather than swarming with the crowds and queues seen in previous years. Few stores appeared to have lines of waiting customers.

A busy stretch of the cityB次元官网网址檚 Queen Street West, which includes H&M, Zara, Aritzia and Aldo stores, similarly didnB次元官网网址檛 show signs of additional shoppers.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e seeing a dilution of Black Friday as a physical shopping event where you go to the store early in the morning,B次元官网网址� retail analyst Bruce Winder said Friday.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 finally sort of hit that tipping point where itB次元官网网址檚 much less about the day and itB次元官网网址檚 more about the shopping period.B次元官网网址�

The elongation of Black Friday sales has lessened the urgency for consumers to shop on one particular day, said Lisa Hutcheson, managing partner at consulting firm J.C. Williams Group.

B次元官网网址淭he need to line up isnB次元官网网址檛 as necessary,B次元官网网址� she said Friday. B次元官网网址淢ost of the retailers have been on sale a good portion of the week already.B次元官网网址�

Shopper Amanda Ram said she normally comes to the Eaton Centre to check out Black Friday deals, though COVID-19 put a pause on that.

She said she normally tries to hit the mall before the after-work rush, but though it was busy she still noticed it wasnB次元官网网址檛 as packed as she remembered from before the pandemic B次元官网网址� fewer and shorter lines, for one.

Overall Black Friday sales are expected to be strong as inflation intensifies the hunt for deals, experts say.

Yet the rising cost of living will also lead customers to B次元官网网址渃herry pickB次元官网网址� sales, Winder said.

Ram said sheB次元官网网址檚 being more careful with her money as she shops for the holidays this year. With inflation driving up the price of her mortgage and everyday essentials, she feels less likely to get caught up in the allure of a great deal, and plans to do some online comparison at home before heading back to the mall.

She said she thinks inflation is definitely affecting how many people shop this weekend and heading into the holidays.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 got to be on peopleB次元官网网址檚 minds.B次元官网网址�

Stores that offer blowout deals of up to 70 per cent off will be busy while retailers with more tepid discounts wonB次元官网网址檛 see the same traffic online or in stores, Winder said.

B次元官网网址淚f youB次元官网网址檙e a retailer and youB次元官网网址檙e trying to move something at 25 or 30 per cent off B次元官网网址� it ainB次元官网网址檛 gonna sell,B次元官网网址� he said.

Some retailers, especially those with high levels of inventory such as apparel, will likely offer bigger sales in stores than online.

B次元官网网址淚f the merchandise is already there and theyB次元官网网址檙e running short on space, theyB次元官网网址檒l want to turn it into cash B次元官网网址� especially if they donB次元官网网址檛 have room to pack it up and hold it for another year,B次元官网网址� Winder said.

Meanwhile, after years of pandemic health restrictions, shopping in brick-and-mortar stores is expected to make a comeback this holiday season, including on Black Friday.

B次元官网网址淲e continue to see increased levels and excitement for in-person shopping across all our 18 shopping centres,B次元官网网址� Sal Iacono, executive vice-president of operations for Cadillac Fairview, said in an emailed statement.

The company, which operates a number of malls across the country including the Eaton Centre in Toronto and the Pacific Centre in Vancouver, has seen retailers extend promotions over a longer period of time but still expects Black Friday to be a big shopping day, he said.

B次元官网网址淲e anticipate Black Friday to be one of the busiest shopping days at all our retail centres and we are looking forward to continuing to see the prolonged momentum throughout the entire season,B次元官网网址� Iacono said.

Still, while some Canadians are eager to return to in-person shopping, others now prefer to do their holiday gift-buying online.

Bradley Thompson of Oakville, Ont., said he plans to do all his Christmas shopping on Black Friday B次元官网网址� but wonB次元官网网址檛 be stepping foot in a store.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 not a big in-store shopper. IB次元官网网址檓 a real millennial in the sense that IB次元官网网址檒l be doing all my shopping online,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淎s a personal challenge, I try to get all of my Christmas shopping done during the Black Friday sales.B次元官网网址�

He usually checks the sales at the big players like Amazon, Walmart and Best Buy, but Thompson said heB次元官网网址檚 increasingly also shopping at Etsy and smaller local businesses online.

Overall, he said the Black Friday deals heB次元官网网址檚 come across are good B次元官网网址� but not great.

B次元官网网址淭he discounts donB次元官网网址檛 seem to be quite as steep as they used to be but they run them a little bit longer,B次元官网网址� Thompson said.

B次元官网网址淚nflation is crazy right now though, so every little bit I can save helps.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址� Brett Bundale, The Canadian Press