Shorter Holiday Shopping Season Ups Pressure on Retailers and Consumers

Canadians waiting for Black Friday to kick-start their holiday shopping have less time to pick up gifts.
There are five fewer days between Black Friday on Nov. 29 and Christmas Eve because U.S. Thanksgiving is later this year.
The shortened shopping period will shift how retailers market around the season and amp up the pressure consumers feel to make their holiday purchases sooner rather than later, experts say.
“With five fewer days between Black Friday and Christmas this year, we can expect to see retailers doing everything they can to get consumers in stores earlier than usual,” said Tandy Thomas, the E. Marie Shantz fellow of marketing at Queen’s University, in an email….