MARINA STRAUSS AND AND STEVE LADURANTAYE

From Friday’s Globe and Mail

Published Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011 4:54PM EST

Last updated Friday, Nov. 25, 2011 1:42AM EST

When Thanksgivings come, so do Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Retailers of the United States are preparing to offer steep discounts for certain items in their inventory to spur the shopping frenzy that prolongs over the weekend. This year, U.S. sales are expected to rise 2.8 percent from 2010, but it is below last year’s increase by 2.4 percent. Nevertheless, this will be a good opportunity for U.S. economy to kick off for holiday season as the consumer spending came to a standstill in a slowing economy.

The race for deals comes all too sweet for Canadian above the border. As a student with limited budget, I am also looking forward to purchasing an electronic gadget from online websites. It is expected that Canadian retailers will lose about one of every shoppers to U.S. Black Friday-Cyber Monday discounts. As a response, Canadian businesses like Wal-Mart Canada Corp and Lululemon Athletica Inc. are trying to come up with their own Black Friday deals that would enable them to retain customers’ exodus to south of the border or to computers. This is beneficial to consumers. I think businesses must take cautious approach to the occasion as bargain-hunting can be short-lived. Once the weekend is over, the sales could sink until Christmas.

(Word 200)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/black-friday-sweeps-north/article2248092/