In Jasmine Chan’s blog post, “A ‘Borrowed’ Culture From the South,” she discusses how some Canadian stores are gradually adopting the concept of America’s Black Friday. But perhaps Canadian retailers should do so more quickly as the shopping extravaganza – which lasts from the day after U.S. Thanksgiving, and now, usually extends until Cyber Monday – could seriously hurt sales.

Some Canadian retailers are taking steps to cope with the potential decrease in sales. Sears Canada Inc. and Lululemon Athletica Inc. began offering deals Thursday in the hopes of attracting shoppers before they left for the States, or preventing them from going altogether. Wal-Mart will also be offering discounts from Black Friday until Cyber Monday.

However, there is doubt whether these initiatives will really help Canadian retailers deal with the losses. Many Canadian shoppers will still be heading down to the U.S. for the wide variety of incredible deals. The discounts offered in Canada may only increase costs for retailers while sales remain relatively the same, thus hurting profits. Whatever the outcome, Canadian stores can use this as an opportunity to learn for next year.

Article: Black Friday Sweeps North

Photo: Blog Spot