Retailers are rolling out bargain prices to keep Canadian shoppers on this side of the border this "Black Friday," the biggest U.S. shopping day of the year and the traditional launch of Christmas shopping in the U.S.

Numerous Canadian retailers announced weekend sales discounts yesterday, a sign that the American tradition is starting to take root north of the border. It occurs on the day after American Thanksgiving, and refers to the beginning of the period in which retailers go from being "in the red" to being "in the black," or making a profit.

"There is fierce competition among retailers ... for those shopping dollars," says Mark Beazley of the Retail Council of Canada. "Canadian retailers understand that they are serving customers without borders."

Sears Canada led off the discount parade yesterday with an early morning announcement it was holding a "Boxing Day Prices event" today, following a similarly marketed three-day sales discount last weekend. Sale items include consumer electronics, apparel and appliances.

It was quickly followed by Wal-Mart Canada, which said it was holding a "Big 2-Day" event this weekend with sales prices across a wide range of items, especially consumer electronics.

Canadian Tire announced at mid-day it was holding its seventh annual "Biggest and Best Sale of the Year" from Friday through Sunday, with discounts of up to 70 per cent on certain products. Customers also earn three times the Canadian Tire money, and 20 per cent off at subsidiary Mark's Work Wearhouse.

"Black Friday is the day in the United States when the whistle blows and the Christmas season gets going with a bang," said retail analyst John Winter.

"Canada certainly needs a wake-up call on this and it seems to be getting one from the promotions that are being offered."

With the Canadian dollar trading at 95 cents US, making shopping cheaper in the U.S., there is added incentive for Canadian shoppers to cross the border looking for bargains, said Beazley.

As well, Canadians appear ready to shop this holiday season, with data released this week showing that retail spending rose for the seventh time in nine months this September.

To capture that business, "Canadian retailers are putting Black Friday on their calendar more and more," said Vincent Power, in charge of corporate communications for Sears Canada.

"Our strategy is a combination of two things: We discount products like home electronics, apparel, Christmas decorations and cameras, all of which are very popular.

"The second thing we do is ... we take a deeper discount [on certain items] and that's one reason why the sale for Black Friday is one day only because we couldn't really afford to do it for a longer period of time."

Said David Cheese-wright, chief executive of Wal-Mart Canada: "We want to give our customers great deals right here in their own country."