Kingston company sees 'sharp decline' in Black Friday trips

The owner of a Kingston-based bus tour company believes the low Canadian dollar is behind a lack of interest to travel south of the border for annual Black Friday sales.

"​The shopping tours have actually seen a sharp decline, which is predominantly based on the exchange," said Kristine Geary, the owner of McCoy Bus Service and Tours. "The dollar has taken a nosedive so it's really affected our shopping tours into the U.S." 

The Canadian dollar was hovering around $0.89 U.S. on Wednesday.

But the exchange rate is just part the reason the allure of shopping in the U.S. has declined, said Ken Wong, professor of marketing and business strategy at Queen's University. 

More and more retailers are establishing themselves in Canada, while online shopping allows Canadians to access deals in the U.S. without actually having to physically travel there, he said.

"All of a sudden, Canadians are finding that much of what they used to be able to find only in the U.S. they can now access at home just as easily," he said.

"And, of course, prices, given the exchange rate, fuel, wear and tear on your vehicle, line-ups at the border, not to mention the availability of e-commerce have made shopping in the U.S. a little less attractive."

In previous years, McCoy Bus Service and Tours has booked seven coaches for shopping trips to the United States but this year there's just one, Geary said.

"A year or two ago, when we were close to parity, it was much more affordable," she said.

The recent opening of the Tanger Outlets in Kanata could also drawing customers away from travelling to the U.S., she said.

"The deals aren't as great as they are in the U.S., but with the exchange rate it works out to be the same," she said.

Geary said that McCoy Bus Service and Tours is scheduling more trips to outlets in Ottawa and Toronto to make up for the cancelled shopping trips to the United States.