“You are open by order of the province so residents can buy essentials. You are not open to cash in on Black Friday and in doing so creating crowd scenes.”
Toronto Mayor John Tory raised eyebrows on Monday when he tweeted a statement urging businesses to not try and "cash in" on Black Friday. This statement comes are Toronto is entering into a new period of COVID-19 restrictions.
"I am urging all retailers who are still open to avoid holding in-person Black Friday sales," said Tory.
"You are open by order of the province so residents can buy essentials. You are not open to cash in on Black Friday and in doing so creating crowd scenes," he concluded.
Loading this lets X set cookies and collect data.
View on XTory also stated, "No deal – no TV, no clothing item, no video game – is worth risking anyone getting this virus. We are in the midst of a pandemic and a lockdown - now is not the time for crowd scenes caused by Black Friday deals."
His tweet was widely regarded as condescending and cold.
Loading this lets X set cookies and collect data.
View on XTo many, it seems like Tory came off out of touch in his tweet, especially as over 70 percent of businesses are unsure they can financially survive this lockdown. Many businesses rely heavily on sales from Black Friday. This holiday season will be financially destructive for a number of small businesses.
Loading this lets X set cookies and collect data.
View on XLoading this lets YouTube set cookies and collect data.
View on YouTubeLibby’s Desk
Commentary and must-reads from Libby’s desk, straight to your inbox.
TPM Newsletter
The Post Millennial’s top stories, delivered to your inbox.
