This is the darkest timeline. As reported by CBC News, David Doyle of investment bank Macquarie Capital Markets Canada Ltd. has forecasted that the Canadian dollar will reach an all-time low of $0.59 per US Dollar by the end of 2016.
The 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) was held last week in Las Vegas, showcasing some of the latest technology products. Many of us at the RFD office were following the event closely to get a glimpse of some of the newest products that we may see in the near-future.
Here's some interesting retail news -- HBC has purchased Gilt Groupe for $250 million USD. Gilt Groupe, founded in 2007, was one of the first online flash sale sites. They currently have about 6 million members. While the purchase price of $250 million might seem high, it's a pretty big drop from the company's peak value -- Gilt Groupe was valued at $1 billion USD as recently as 2011.
How many times has this happened to you? You arrive at McDonald’s right around 11 AM in the morning, step up to the counter to order a delicious McMuffin combo but are then told that breakfast is no longer being served.
With 2015 being the year Canadians lost a series of retailers (Target, Future Shop, and Blacks to name a few), it seems 2016 is starting off to be the year of retail comebacks. Recently, the international fashion brand Esprit announced plans to return to the Canadian retail market.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens has been out for over a week, and if you’re one of the few who've yet to see it, we highly recommend that you do. Before the movie released, we made a list of 10 Arguably Awesome, Completely Unnecessary Star Wars Products, with Star Wars memorabilia that are cool, but also crazy (both in principle and in price) and unnecessary.
Holiday
According to the New York Times, December 25th is second least common birthday, surpassed only by February 29th. It's a birthday shared by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (and amazingly, his brother Alexandre), Sir Issac Newton and the man who brought us Margaritaville, Jimmy Buffet. While there are definitely some benefits to a Christmas birthday -- for instance you're almost guaranteed to get your birthday off work without using a vacation day -- there are a few downsides that can make it a bummer. If there's someone in your life with a Christmas birthday, here are some tips on how to make it better.
If you're a beer drinker, today is a big day in Canadian retail! The first 58 grocery stores licensed to sell beer have started their sales today! Unfortunately, the Ontario.ca page only presents the stores now selling beer in the form of a map. For easier searching, we've written all the stores out in alphabetical order by city name.
It’s almost here. The amount of hype is comparable to that of Barbershop: The Next Cut. We’re taking about Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and if you’re a fan of the franchise, you’re eagerly anticipating joining Han, Chewbacca, Leia, R2-D2 and C-3PO for another adventure in a galaxy far, far away.
Holiday
Geeks -- the new it crowd. Nearly everyone knows one, and thanks to growing numbers of conventions, popular television shows, and online communities, being a geek is now cool. That being said, they can be quite difficult to buy gifts for if you're not familiar with the ins and outs of their particular passion. Between family, friends, and coworkers, most people are sure to have at least one adult geek on their shopping list this holiday season. The question is, what in the world do you buy them? While many grown-ups love their fandom deeply, most might not appreciate your gesture of gifting them with a Batman action figure this holiday season. So what do you buy them that shows you care enough about their interests, while still seeming age-appropriate?
A month or so ago, Real Canadian Superstore ran a promotion where you got a free ham if you spent more than $225. I didn't think I would be eligible for the promotion until I got through the checkout line and realized that my grocery and household purchases indeed put me over the threshold. I'm a vegetarian, but when the cashier asked if I wanted a free ham, I said yes. For a number of years, the team at RedFlagDeals.com volunteered at the Scott Mission in Toronto. They serve two hot meals a day and I knew that they'd be happy to have a big fresh ham on hand. (And truly, I cannot overemphasize how gigantic this ham was.) Last week, Real Canadian Superstore ran a similar promotion, but this time, the reward was a frozen turkey. Again I happily accepted the bonus and again I donated it to the Scott Mission.
Black Friday
As every hardcore RFD reader knows, Black Friday takes place the Friday after American Thanksgiving. This year it’s November 27. Cyber Monday is the Monday following Thanksgiving and this year it's November 30. If you're not a hardcore RFD reader and you haven’t shopped Cyber Monday or Black Friday online before, here are a few tips:
Holt Renfrew has just launched online shopping! Unfortunately, it's limited to beauty items (cosmetics, fragrance and skincare) although they say that other product lines, like handbags and apparel, will be available in 2016.
Just in time for the holidays, Amazon.ca has introduced coupons! Now, before you get too excited, they're all pretty small scale, ranging from $1 to $15 in value, and they are on a pretty eclectic range of products, but you can find them all here and clip as many as you like. Some of the standout coupons are:
Black Friday
Canada vs. USA -- it’s one of the world’s greatest rivalries. It’s fiercer than Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, more epic than Rousey vs. Holm, as mythical as Jedi vs. Sith and has severed more friendships than Backstreet Boys vs. NSYNC.
Black Friday
Many people love our forums, flyers, deals and steals but the majority of you still use your desktop computer to access RedFlagDeals.com. That’s okay with us because we spend a lot of time making your experience the best it can be on desktop but you could be missing out on finding last-minute deals.
We haven't seen much in the way of Black Friday flyers from Canada yet but Black Friday flyers from Walmart US, Best Buy US and Target have been released and we've got them here! Here's a quick look at some notable items from each flyer.
Black Friday
We've already covered some great tips for Black Friday shopping online -- here's a rundown of what to do if you're shopping in-store on Black Friday for the first time.
Black Friday
Black Friday is coming, which means it’s time to start changing your sleep habits, because come November 27, you’ll want to wake up early if you want to snag the best deals. How early should you set your alarms? We have you covered, as we've compiled a full list with the Black Friday hours of many malls across Canada!
Chances are you’re really looking forward to Black Friday -- over 65% of users who voted on our poll expect better deals on Black Friday than Boxing Day, unequivocally the two biggest shopping days of the year.
