Canadian retailers are still trying to make Black Friday a big deal for shoppers.
The day after American Thanksgiving is the biggest shopping day of the year south of the border, but the crazy lines for discounted items are much shorter in Canada.
A dozen people lined up early Friday morning to get into Best Buy on Ste. Catherine St., and some shoppers said they had spotted good deals.
Others told CTV Montreal they saw signs advertising certain items at 50 percent off -- but that it wasn't for items they had any interest in buying.
Retail analyst Marie-Claude Frigon said the people who were making a point of shopping this Friday had been comparing prices for weeks.
"I think there are good deals. I'm sure some retailers will try to not have those amazing deals, but customers now are so informed and they do their research way in advance," she said.
"This is the day, but they've been shopping for the past two-three weeks, looking at prices."
The end of the year is widely considered the make or break season for retailers, largely because the boost in shopping for Christmas gift-giving comes as stores have paid off their yearly overhead and salary costs.
Several chains closed this year, including Mexx and Jacob, but across the table retailers have seen a six per cent increase in sales nationwide.
Analysts say this is due in part to the drop in value for the Canadian dollar, which entices Canadians to avoid making trips to the United States to shop.
