Customs Officials Ready for Canadian Black Friday Shoppers
Canadian border officials are gearing up for the busiest crossing day of the year at the Canadian/U.S. Border in Maine. Thousands of Canadians cross into the U.S. to take advantage of Black Friday sales. The Vancouver Sun reports:
Tomorrow is Black Friday for U.S. retailers -- the biggest shopping day of the year south of the border -- and the Canada Border Services Agency is gearing up for a sharp increase of U.S.-bound Canadian shoppers.
The agency's Pacific region spokeswoman, Faith St. John, said CBSA is bringing in extra employees to staff the crossings, adding that on Black Friday in 2008, Lower Mainland border crossings saw a 35-per-cent increase in vehicle traffic from the previous Friday.
"Last year on Black Friday, we had 14,225 vehicles at the four border crossings in the Lower Mainland. The Friday before that there was 10,536. And that was fairly consistent in 2007 and 2006.
It's definitely one of the busiest days. Based on historical data, we expect a significant increase in the number of travellers returning from the U.S., and as a result we'll be increasing our staffing levels."
As well, a survey released this week by Visa Canada suggests that online shopping by Canadians is picking up, with six in 10 reporting shopping online over the past year, and 29 per cent of those questioned making a purchase from an American website. Fully 23 per cent of Canadians who shopped online reported taking advantage of deals offered on Black Friday in the U.S.
Needless to say, Canadian retailers are less than thrilled about this trend. Some have begun cutting prices to compete. Because the discounts aren't as big as last year, the traffic may not be as big either.
