More Canadians plan on crossing the border for U.S. Black Friday deals: survey

A new survey has found that more Canadians are planning on taking advantage of American Black Friday deals this year, both in store and online.

The survey, commissioned by UPS Canada and conducted between Sept. 26 and Sept. 29, suggests that 45 per cent of Canadians intended to take part in American deals — up from only 29 per cent last year.

Craig Calvert, the director of customer solutions at UPS Canada, says this may be because the Canadian dollar is stronger this year than it was last year, so customers’ money can go farther.

The survey found that most of those looking to make purchases on Black Friday will do so online, although some will also be crossing the border.

But some Canadians who are upset about Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election say they won’t be making any U.S. Black Friday purchases this year.

Joyann Sikatowsky, 55 of Sudbury, who disagrees with the president elect’s position on immigration, says her boycott of U.S. retailers will extend beyond Black Friday.

“It’s just the values,” she said. “I’ll stay in Canada.”

Meanwhile, Canadians are expected to spend more on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday than we did last year.

Moneris, a debit and credit card processing company, said spending on Black Friday is expected to go up by eight per cent compared to last year. Cyber Monday spending is expected to go up by 15 per cent.

Black Friday has become even bigger than Boxing Day, Moneris said, and that trend is expected to continue this year. In 2015, Canadians spent 25.81 per cent more on Black Friday than Boxing Day, and in 2014, Canadians spent 13.46 per cent more on Black Friday than Boxing Day.