Online buying continues to eat away at shopping mall clientele

What effect is online shopping having on malls? Online shopping might be on the rise, but traffic at local malls on what's reputed to be the busiest shopping day of the year was brisk

MONTREAL — If there is one time that shopping malls will be packed it's right now during the buying bonanza at the end of December.

Those who shopped online have likely done it already and the Fairview Mall in Pointe-Claire and other large shopping centres are ground zero for procrastinating last-minute shoppers wanting to check off Christmas lists.

This week, however, is the exception as online shopping continues to eat away at the market.

"Brick and mortar is going lower a little bit versus last year," said Retail Council of Canada Quebec President Marc Fortin.

Staff at local stores have noticed the trend as well.

"It's been a little bit quieter than what we were expecting the last few years," said Louis Provencher at Ernest menswear store.

In Quebec, the numbers are higher for shopping in stores versus online compared to other Canadian provinces.

"It's partly cultural. We're more social, we like to be surrounded by people. We're touchy-feely," said Fortin.

Shopping is up this year by about a tenth according to Fortin.