Since migrating north from the United States about a decade ago, Black Friday has become hugely popular with Canadian shoppers. The annual buying frenzy and its online counterpart, Cyber Monday, take place after American Thanksgiving (this year, the dates are Nov. 25 and 28). Last fall, retail researchers found that more than half of Canadians planned to shop for Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales – and that many of us would skip work to do it.
Both days are juicy opportunities to boost sales and engage new customers. The key is to have a strategy, says Dale Jones, principal at Retail Category Consultants, a retail strategic consulting firm in Toronto. We asked for his advice on getting ready.