TORONTO — Shoppers are out deal hunting this Black Friday despite decades-high inflation and rising interest rates.
Retailers have increasingly stretched deals over several weeks and offered similar discounts online, taking some of the urgency out of the early morning shopping trips.
Retail analyst Bruce Winder says this “dilution” of Black Friday has spread promotions out over a longer period with many retailers offering the same discount over an entire week or more.
Winder says stores that offer blowout sales of up to 70 per cent off will be busy while retailers that offer more tepid discounts won’t see the same traffic.
Meanwhile, the Canada Border Services Agency issued a notice to travellers planning to head south of the border for U.S. Thanksgiving and Black Friday.
The agency warned of potential long wait times at some crossings and encouraged travellers to cross during non-peak hours.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 25, 2022.
