Black Friday in Canada will never achieve the gun-toting, pepper-spraying, early morning deal-hunting of its U.S. counterpart, but it’s inching closer in 2013.
Forty-seven percent of Canadians plan to take part in the deals — a 41% rise over last year, according to a Bank of Montreal survey. They’ll spend an average of $292, the bank says.
But the majority of those shoppers will stay north of the border. A poll from UPS Canada found that 14% of Canadians plan to go to the U.S. for Black Friday — up 6% from 2011, but still far from the bulk of shoppers.
“It’s a cultural leakage from one side to the other,” said Kelly Askew, managing director of retail management consulting for Accenture Canada. “If Canadian retailers ignore it, it will be to their detriment if they don’t stop consumers from going across the border.”
One of the country’s largest shopping mall operators, Cadillac Fairview, has responded to retailer requests by opening 21 properties early on Friday so it can lure customers who might be tempted to go south for deep discounts. Cadillac Fairview’s Eaton Centre in Toronto — the busiest mall in Canada — opened at 6 a.m. Friday, while other properties across the country will welcome customers through the doors at either 7 a.m. or 8 a.m.
The Eaton Centre is promising to publish all its sales here at 9:30 p.m. ET.
In Vancouver, both the Pacific Centre and Richmond Centre posted promotions online ahead of their planned 7 a.m. openings.
Suppliers are giving “way more deals for the Black Friday time frame than they ever have before,” Theo Horsdal, computers buyer for London Drugs, told the Vancouver Sun.
With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the deals you can find on both sides of the border:
Target’s first Black Friday in Canada will debut at 7 a.m. at all 124 of its stores, slashing prices on TV and digital cameras, clothing, toys and kitchen appliances as well as offering door-crasher specials to the first customers in line. Deals on offer include a 39″ Magnavox HDTV on sale for $199.99 from $379.99; an XBOX 360 (4GB) for $129.99, regular $199.99, plus a $50 Target gift card, and up to 70% off apparel and accessories. Target Canada president Tony Fisher said last week that the retailer wanted to make a lasting impression in its first holiday season and help turn around the consumer perception that it is pricier than Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart is countering with a large push in its stores and taking advantage of its Canadian shopping website, which Target has yet to set up. This year Wal-Mart relaunched its website and created a flyer enabled with Layar technology, which allows customers to purchase Walmart.ca offers off of the flyer using their mobile devices.
Cards Against Humanitylaunched a “once-in-a-lifetime sale” Friday by marking all of its games up by $5. The game’s landing page now features a button that just reads “Consume!”
Apple, usually gleefully ignorant to competitors’ prices, promised a “one-day shopping event” Thursday. In a uniquely Apple style, its flyer listed absolutely no prices and linked out to the regular store. Friday they solved the mystery: “Buy an iPad and get an Apple Store Gift Card worth up to $75.”
London Drugs, the ubiquitous Western Canada just-about-everything store, announced 7 a.m openings at its Lougheed Town Centre store in Burnaby, B.C., and its Guildford Town Centre store in Surrey. In the electronics department, London Drugs has cut $50 off the price to sell the XBox 360 (4GB console) for $129.99. It’s also selling the Surface RT 32GB Bundle for $249.99 — $150 off the regular price. If you’re an Apple user, you can pick up a $100 iTunes card for $79.99.
Always a Black Friday favourite, Best Buy is selling the 32GB Microsoft Surface tablets for $199.99 — $150 off the regular price. If you get there early, the electronics retailer is selling a 50″ LG LED TV as a door crasher at $599.99 — $200 off the regular price. Best Buy is also selling the XBox 360 (4GB console) for $50 off at $129.99.
On the same front (and part of the same corporation) as Best Buy, Futureshop is selling a 55″ LG LED TV as a door crasher at $250 off $749.99. Meanwhile, if you’re in the market for major appliances, you can get a GE Profile 22.1 cubic foot French Door fridge for $1,999.99 — $900 off the regular price.
Indigo is offering an in-store buy three books and get the fourth free deal. Online, it’s cutting prices 75% for some of its fiction titles. Epic Ink Productions’ Star Wars: The Blueprints, for example, will go down to $79.95 from $525.00.
Amazon.ca is in the midst of a “Black Friday Deals Week,” which on Thursday featured 40% off for a Canon EOS Rebel T3. Including a lens, the DSLR is selling for $299.00 — $200.99 off its normal price.
Roots, purveyors of cozy sweats and classically styled leather goods, promises 25 per cent off all its wares on Friday, both online and in-store.
Old Navy store are opening at 7 a.m. Friday and they’re cutting 50% on prices across “the entire store” and “everything online.” They’re also giving someone $1-million. The first 500 people at every store when they open can enter into the draw. They’ll pick the winner randomly at 7 p.m. PT (10 p.m. ET).
Online computer retailer Newegg.ca, is offering an “ultimate Black Friday sale that lasts exactly 24 hours and including savings anywhere from 25% to 75%. These deals include a high-end Netgear router for $49.99.
Sport Chek is offering a Black Friday week sale (which started Nov. 26 and runs until December 2), offering savings up to 60% off on a wide variety of items including winter coats.
Rogers is offering steep discounts on its Android phones with several that used to sell for more than a hundred dollars going for free (with a contract).
ToysЯus has a 1/2 price event where a large number of items, surprise, surprise, are half off. The toy company is also price-matching any other retailers advertised deals, plus an additional 10% off.
Airmiles offers increased miles at many retailers on Black Friday, including the Apple Store, Sears and Dell.