Is it still worth it to go to the US for Black Friday deals?

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Canadians spend billions of dollars south of the border from Black Friday through December, and it all started just after midnight as stores in places like Bellingham opened their doors with deep discounts.

But with Canadian retailers hopping on-board in a big way this year, is it still worth it to head south for savings?

“Black Friday has become absolutely huge for Canadian retailers and we saw last year the first real big push on this side of the border and a lot of Canadian retailers come on board,” says Ashleigh Patterson, senior finance editor at Yahoo! Canada.

“It’s basically because there was so much capital outflowing across the border. A report from BMO stated that at least $5 billion is flowing from Canada to the US between November and December in terms of retail sales. That’s a lot of money retailers wanted to keep on this side of the border this year.”

Cross border retailers like WalMart, Future Shop and Best Buy aren’t the only stores offering discounts in Canada; smaller, neighbourhood boutiques and businesses are also trying to capitalize on the Black Friday mayhem.

“We’re seeing initiatives like Black Friday Vancouver and Shop the Neighbourhood in Toronto which is really an effort to get Canadians to spend more in this country and shop locally,” Patterson tells News1130.

But she says savvy shoppers may still want to head south of the border.

“It really depends on what you’re purchasing and that all comes down to the research that you want to put in before you actually put your tires on the road. You need to account for things like accommodation, you gas costs, things like meals and spending money, that all has to come into play.”

Patterson notes very often, deals in the States are simply better.

“Traditionally, the same products you’ll see in Canada are between 10 and 15 per cent lower in the States. Couple that with the Black Friday deals and you can get — televisions and major appliances are the first to come to mind — [and you get] 50 to 60 per cent off. If it makes sense for you to cross the border with all those residual costs then do it. The deals are better in the US… it’s just a fact right now.”

If you do head into the US for Black Friday savings, Patterson suggests doing your research online first.

“RedFlagDeals.com is a really great resource. They have screenshots of all the Canadian and American Black Friday Flyers that have already hit the market. That will give you a massive inventory of the sales that are out there. But we also know a lot more shoppers are shopping on their mobile phones this year. I encourage people to use price comparison apps like ShopBot.ca or even the Amazon app or Red Laser. These are really great tools you can use in the store, you can scan barcodes and see if there’s a comparable or cheaper price at a retailer close by. That really gives you all the power as a consumer,” says Patterson.

Jim Cormier with the Retail Council of Canada says almost two-thirds of all Canadian merchants are taking part in Black Friday. He admits many of them are the big box stores and major retailers but some Mom and Pop outfits are in the mix too.

“Even smaller retailers are jumping on-board. Not all are happy about it. Now, not all of them are happy about it. Some are very much embracing it. Others are doing it simply because they have to,” he explains.

The average Canadian is expected to spend almost $300 today.

Many stores also offer a price match guarantee, so you may be able to get a better deal without having to travel to another store.

Also keep in mind that Black Friday now extends right through the weekend for many retailers and there are deep discounts for online shoppers on the following Cyber Monday. So, if you want to avoid the mayhem, you don’t have to battle the crowds today on either side of the border.