Vancouver retailers, including Future Shop and 4,000 merchants in a dozen Vancouver business improvement associations, are jumping on the American Black Friday tradition with extended shopping hours.
Future Shop stores across Canada will be opening early November 29 at 6 a.m. and will be offering number of “hot deals.”
Whether they are hot enough to stem the tide of British Columbian shoppers who head south of the border to join the lineups at American stores for Black Friday remains to be seen.
According to a recent BMO survey, 47% of Canadians surveyed said they planned to shop on Black Friday this year, which usually means driving to the United States.
According to BMO’s Holiday Spending Outlook, holiday spending is projected to continue its climb for a third straight year.
Canadians are expected to spend an average of $1,810 this holiday season – a 12% increase over last year ($1,610), and 30% increase over 2011 ($1,397).
A dozen Vancouver business improvement associations have banded together to promote Black Friday sales among their members. The shopping event runs beyond Friday to December 1. Future Shop’s Black Friday event also lasts through the weekend.
Last year, the West 4th Business Improvement Association in Kitsilano was the first BIA to convince its members to observe Black Friday, and the result was that 70% of merchants in that BIA experienced a significant increase in sales.
“By putting their seasonal purchasing to work in their own neighbourhoods, rather than south of the border, shoppers will find great shopping and discover unique activities throughout their own city,” said West 4th BIA CEO Russ Davies.
“No passport required, no stressful border lineups – exactly what a made-in-Vancouver Black Friday was meant to be.”
Vancouver BIAs participating in Black Friday this year are: Cambie Village, Chinatown, Commercial Drive, Downtown Vancouver, Gastown, Kerrisdale Village, Mount Pleasant, Robson, South Granville, West 4th, the West End and Yaletown.
The Vancouver BIA Partnership has a website that allows shoppers to check out deals offered by merchants in their respective BIA districts.
