Brain sees a couple of reasons Canadian shoppers have not fully embraced the Black Friday phenomenon.
"The notion of a Black Friday just doesn't really mean much if you’re totally in control of the shopping experience."
Retailers, however, are doing what they can to exercise some control over the consumer dollar by offering shoppers plenty of opportunities to go to stores in search of Black Friday deals across Canada. In some cases, the retailers and shopping mall managers have ramped up their Black Friday strategy significantly over last year.
Holiday Shopping
A few years ago, it would receive a few requests for early openings on Black Friday from U.S. retailers operating stores in their centres.
"But we've now found even our Canadian retailers just love Black Friday," Greenwood says. It helps to keep the dollars in Canada, keep people shopping locally instead of going across the border on Black Friday, because it's a big shopping day in the U.S."
'Significant sales occasion'
At Future Shop stores across Canada, doors open at 6 a.m. (8 a.m. in Quebec), the same time as they would open on Boxing Day and a Black Friday first for the electronics retailer.
Communications manager Elliott Chun says Black Friday has become a "very significant sales occasion" for Future Shop.
'Every year there seems to be a heightened interest for Black Friday.'
- Elliott Chun
"Every year there seems to be a heightened interest for Black Friday."
Other retailers also appear to pulling out more stops with Black Friday promotions this year.
At that time, there were just two Black Friday deals from Canadian retailers.
Abercrombie & Fitch: There’s a 40% off everything sale on Black Friday, no promotional code necessary.
American Eagle: 40% off everything plus free shipping with any purchase, no promo code required.
Apple Store: The rarely seen Apple Store promotion has surfaced on Black Friday, with free Apple Store gift cards included in various purchases — $75 with the purchase of an iPad Air, for instance, and a $150 card with every iMac or MacBook Pro bought.
(MORE: The Essential Shopping Guide to the Epic Thanksgiving-Black Friday Weekend)
Calvin Klein: 50% off and free shipping for all orders placed on Black Friday.
Delia’s: For November 29, the code BIG50 delivers a 50% off discount sitewide (and in store), with free shipping on all orders.
Dockers: Use the code BLACKFRIDAY for 40% off sitewide on (duh) Black Friday.
Everything’s half off in Gap stores on Friday too.
In the United States the Friday after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday - the traditional start of the Christmas shopping season.
Retailers are known to launch one-off deals on the day - and some UK retailers are starting to follow suit.
Here, we round up some of the best bargains on the high street and online.
Let us know if you spot other outstanding Black Friday deals that we've missed - email money@telegraph.co.uk
Amazon
Amazon is putting 2,000 products on offer on Friday, with "Lightning Deals" offering a limited quantity of a product for a limited period of time. Browse the timeline and strike as soon as your chosen product goes live.
Some offers at 6pm on Friday include:
• OnePiece Marius Unisex Onesie £59.99 (62pc off)
• Puma Mens Lux Le Golf Shoes £36.99 (63pc off)
• Seiko Men's Quartz Watch £78 (70pc off)
• Kipling Yubin Spin 81 Suitcase £64.99 (71pc off)
Asda
Asda - owned by US giant Wal-Mart - promises "earth shattering deals" across its 350 stores nationwide on a first-come, first-served basis.
Some stock is not usually available so has no standard price and these deals are only available in-store.
• LG 42” Plasma TV £259 (normally £329.99)
• Polaroid 32” LED TV £99 (normally 179.99)
• Cyclone Explorer 7” Tablet £49
• Samsung GS3 Mini smartphone £99 (normally £199)
• Little Tikes kitchen at £38
• Russell Hobbs microwave at £29
John Lewis
John Lewis has offers available online and in shops for one day only.
• 20pc off all tablet cases and laptop bags
• Toshiba Portégé Z10t-106 Convertible Ultrabook, Intel Core i5, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD, 11.6" Touch Screen £599.95 (normally £749.95)
• Bosch TDA2622GB steam iron, green £9.98 (save 50pc)
• LG TV 42 inch with Freeview HD £599 (normally £799)
• 20pc off telephones
Apple
• iPad Air, 16gb, wifi £368 (normally £399)
• Macbook Air, 11 inch, 128gb £768 (normally £849)
• iPod touch 16gb £174 (normally £199)
Boots
• Panasonic ES-RF41 electric shaver £79.99 (normally £179.99)
• Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Winter Essentials Kit £16 (normally £50)
• Panasonic FS40 black digital camera £49.99 (normally £129.99)
• Oral-B Triumph 5000 with SmartGuide Electric Toothbrush £70 (normally £199.99)
Very.co.uk
very.co.uk will have hourly sale drops throughout the day from 8am through to 8pm with a mix of homeware, fashion, beauty and electrical items on sale at up to 70pc off.
• Canon Powershot SX240 HS 12 Megapixel Digital Camera £99 (normally £229)
• Riva Memory Comfort mattress £103 (normally £259)
• Remington R7150 Black Diamond-X Rotary Shaver £50 (normally £130)
• JMB 39 inch Full HD Freeview LED TV £249 (normally £449)
Revo
Heritage G2 multi-format table radio for £149.95 (normally £249.95)
Avios
The Avios Travel Rewards programme is offering members 50pc more points on shopping to celebrate Black Friday and Cyber Monday with brands including John Lewis, Selfridges and Ernest Jones.
Point collected earn money off flights with British Airways and Iberia.
Cyber Monday
Black Friday is followed by Cyber Monday on December 2, when most stores will be the busiest for online shopping.
Steve Brook, a deals analyst at moneysavingexpert.com, said shoppers could also see better deals on Cyber Monday.
“Black Friday is a US phenomenon that we are now seeing on this side of the pond," he said. "There looks to be some strong deals, though based on what we’ve seen so far, in the UK Cyber Monday is likely to pack more of a punch.”
Make sure you know how to protect your personal information and how to avoid buying counterfeit goods when you shop online. You can check the Get Safe Online website for their top tips.
Debenhams
- 15pc off beauty and fragrance (normally only do 10pc)
- Benefit Cabana Glama set half price (will be £12.50 - £14.50 depending whether they take 50pc off the RRP or the current price)
- Up to 50pc off jewellery and watches
• Finally, a blatent plug for our very own subscription "Black Friday" offer:
Subscribe to The Telegraph Digital Pack for £9.99, and get a free 70cl bottle of Bowmore Islay Single Malt, worth £32.99. Offer ends midnight.
Your subscription includes tablet apps for iPad, Android, Kindle Fire and Windows; unlimited website access; mobile apps for iPhone and Android and subscriber rewards at more than 5,000 venues across the UK.
Black Friday keeps coming earlier and earlier, with some stores opening on Thanksgiving night. Other retailers announced special deals in early November, and simply called them Black Friday deals. Whatever the timing, there are some great discounts this year if you’re looking for a new gadgets. We scoped out all the flyers and doorbusters to narrow our selections. Here are our favorite gadget deals for Black Friday 2013.
1$150 off all MacBook Airs (Best Buy)
Apple
The 13-inch MacBook Air’s battery life is absolutely epic, with this ultraportable providing more than 11.5 hours of endurance. And you can walk away with this marathon runner of a notebook for $150 off at Best Buy.
You can pick up the 13-inch Air for as low as $949 and the 11-inch model (nearly 9 hours of juice) for as cheap as $849. Apple's latest MacBook Airs ship with fourth-generation Intel Core i5 processors and 802.11ac Wi-Fi support, so don't miss out on a chance to nab one for well under a grand when the sale kicks off in Best Buy stores at 10 a.m. on Black Friday.
More: Gift Ideas for Gamers
2Kindle Fire HD 7 16GB ($99, Best Buy)
Amazon
Designed for bookworms and entertainment junkies alike, Amazon's Kindle Fire line gives users access to tons of e-books, movies and TV shows, as well as exciting apps. And while the all-new Kindle Fire HDX 7 starts at $229, you can take home last year's still-impressive Kindle Fire HD 7 for less than $100. Best Buy is offering the Amazon slate for just $99 in stores and online from Nov. 28 to Nov 30. The $99 Kindle Fire HD is also a great kids' tablet, thanks to Amazon's robust parental controls.
More: Gift ideas for mom
3Samsung Galaxy S III: $49 at RadioShack
Samsung
Samsung's Galaxy S III has been the No. 1 selling smartphone in the world, thanks to its wide array of sharing options, high-quality camera, and the fact that you get a big 4.8-inch screen in a slim design. RadioShack is offering the device through Sprint for $49.99, when it normally retails for $199 (with a two-year contract).
That's a savings of $150. There's also an AT&T deal for the same phone for $99.99, which is half off. RadioShack's doors open at 6 a.m. on Black Friday, and will give customers $10 for every $50 they spend.
Related: Samsung Galaxy S III Full Review
4HP Pavilion Chromebook 14 ($179, Staples)
Laptopmag.com
Chromebooks are already known for their affordability, and Staples is making it easier than ever to take one home this Black Friday. The office supplies store is selling the HP Chromebook Pavilion 14 for $179, which is a $150 cheaper than its $329 retail value.
This Chrome OS-based notebook boasts vivid picture quality and booming audio, and is extremely portable at less than 4 pounds. If you need basic Web-based functionality at an extremely wallet-friendly price, be sure to check out your local Staples store or Staples.com from 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving until the end of Black Friday.
More: Best Gifts for Millionaires
5Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 16GB ($299, Best Buy)
Laptopmag.com
If you're looking for a highly customizable Android tablet with a bright screen and thin design, Samsung's Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 might be just what you need. Normally $399, Best Buy is selling this Atom-powered tablet for just $299 from Nov. 28 to Nov. 30 both in stores and online. Snag this deal and you'll not only have a versatile slate, you'll also have an extra $100 to spend on loved ones (or yourself).
More: Gift Ideas for Dad
6Motorola Moto X ($49, plus bonus $100 gift card; Wal-Mart)
Laptopmag.com
With innovative voice controls, the lightweight Moto X is designed to make getting things done on your smartphone as effortless as possible. Buying one this Black Friday will be equally easy, as the $99 handset will be available for $49 at Wal-Mart with a two-year AT&T, Sprint or Verizon contract. This phone packs a bright 4.7-inch display, a compact design and a camera you can activate with a couple of flicks of your wrist.
Wal-Mart is tossing in a $100 gift card for those who take advantage of this deal, so make sure to head to a Wal-Mart store between Nov. 29 at 8 a.m. and the end of the day on Dec. 1 to get the best possible value on the Moto X.
More: Best Gifts Under $100
7Dell Inspiron 15R ($649, Costco)
Laptopmag.com
Dell's budget-friendly Inspiron line is known for good performance and low prices, and Costco.com is selling one of the latest models for less than $700 this Black Friday. The Inspiron 15R will only run you $649 during the shopping holiday, allowing you to take advantage of its 1366 x 768-pixel touchscreen and solid Intel Core i5 processor without breaking the bank. This online-only deal lasts from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1, so you can score a cheap Inspiron without changing out of your PJ's.
More: Best Stocking Gifts (Under $25)
8Microsoft Surface 32GB ($169, eBay)
Laptopmag.com
Microsoft may have launched its Surface 2 and Surface 2 Pro, but the slate that started it all can now be had for less than $170. As part of a one-day online sale on Nov. 28, eBay is offering the original 32GB Surface for $169, which is a steep discount from its $349 retail value. This 10-incher packs a sharp 1366 x 768 display and Microsoft Office, making it a great way to experience Windows RT at an even better price.
More: Top Laptop Gifts
9Nokia Lumia 1020 ($99, AT&T)
There are tons of great smartphone deals for those brave enough to wade through their local malls, but AT&T has one just as excellent for couch potatoes. From now through Dec. 7, the carrier is offering the Nokia Lumia 1020 on a two-year contract for just $99, which is half its normal $199 price tag.
With a 41-MP sensor and the feature-packed Pro Camera app, the Lumia 1020 is sure to please photography fanatics. If you're a shutterbug on a budget, this is the time to finally add the 1020 to your collection.