Maritimers take advantage of early holiday specials as deals start popping up

First at Five: Deals for Days First at Five looks at how Black Friday sales have extended beyond one day of savings.

Many Maritimers are starting their Christmas shopping early as Black Friday sales start to pop up.

Discount signs are already in place at the Halifax Shopping Centre, with many people already taking advantage of them.

"We are certainly seeing a lot of stores kick off some really fantastic sales, especially if you are looking for anything in the tech area, those items that are really hot or the season you are going to want to shop,” says Stephanie Schnare, marketing manager at Halifax Shopping Centre.

Nicole Pearson-Nearing has five children and is always looking at ways to save money.

"We are trying to get ahead of the game and get some deals in Halifax,” says Pearson-Nearing.

Some people are even travelling to Halifax from as far as Moncton, N.B., to take part in the early holiday deals.

"Like everybody else, I am looking for a good deal and now is the time to do it,” says Sylvia Lafrance, visiting from Moncton.

"I think with a competitive market, with all the stores, it’s starting to be ‘Black Month’ instead, not ‘Black Friday,’” says Jeremy Hannah, visiting from Moncton.

Sales may seem early for some, but experts say earlier deals are becoming a growing trend.

"Black Friday has changed probably about seven to 10 years ago, maybe a little less, that retails started morphing it into Black Friday month,” says retail analyst Bruce Winder.

Winder says not only does it allow shoppers to get their holiday shopping started earlier, but it also provides some traffic relief when it comes to the actual Black Friday event.

"If everything is a mad dash on one day, it gets really hectic. There is never enough staff or inventory, and it could be a safety thing,” he said. “But if you stagger it over a couple of days and weeks, you spread out that risk.”

However, many will still be out on Nov. 29, when additional price drops take effect as part of Black Friday.

"A lot of the stores will start out with pre–Black Friday and build up to their big sales and we are also seeing some exclusive sales just on the day, " says Schnare.

"If you don’t signal to that, consumers will wait. Consumers have been trained to wait until there’s a sale. They think that the price might go down lower, and they won’t buy right now. So, you have to tell consumers very clearly that the price will not go down, buy now, you won't regret it, or else they won't buy now,” adds Winder.

For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.