Amid the flashy flyers and promotional emails, a divide has emerged between big and small retailers this Black Friday.

On one side, retail giants with sophisticated supply chains and robust inventory levels. They91裸聊视频檙e offering deep and widespread discounts, often coupled with free shipping and no interest payment plans.

On the other side, smaller stores struggling with ongoing supply chain headaches and rising costs, with less capacity for big markdowns.

For consumers, it means the best deals may not be on the items they want, or from the retailers they91裸聊视频檇 prefer to shop with.

91裸聊视频淢any retailers have backed off on their discounts a little bit because they don91裸聊视频檛 have the inventory to support those blockbuster deals,91裸聊视频� retail analyst Bruce Winder says. 91裸聊视频淭he sales are underwhelming.91裸聊视频�

Smaller brands and independent retailers tend to be offering sales around 25 per cent off regular prices, with some deeper discounting on past-season and discontinued items.

Canadian apparel brand Duer, for example, is offering modest discounts on its most popular classic items, with bigger sales on its out-of-season items or styles that haven91裸聊视频檛 sold as well.

91裸聊视频淲e offer some discounts on our 91裸聊视频� core styles during Black Friday,91裸聊视频� says Michael Macintyre, chief operating officer of Vancouver-based Duer. 91裸聊视频淏ut the deeper discounts are on those seasonal or discontinued items.91裸聊视频�

Inflationary pressure and supply chain problems have prompted many retailers to approach Black Friday discounts more strategically this year, he said.

91裸聊视频淩etailers are going to manage the discounts to capture back a little bit more gross margin on sales to cover some of the logistics costs,91裸聊视频� Macintyre says. 91裸聊视频淏ut it91裸聊视频檚 also going to be a bit dynamic, so the Black Friday deals may shift and change based on demand and inventory.91裸聊视频�

Yet as small and mid-size retailers carefully curate sales to attract shoppers while still maintaining a strong profit margin, bigger chains are offering a deluge of deals, many of which started weeks before Black Friday.

Amazon, for example, announced it would have 91裸聊视频渕ore deals than ever before91裸聊视频� with 91裸聊视频渄eep discounts on top products91裸聊视频� during its 48-hour Black Friday event Nov. 25 to 26.

Canadian Tire is also rolling out blowout deals for Black Friday, with dozens of sale items 70 per cent off regular price and a few up to 85 per cent off. The company recently purchased a stake in a B.C. inland port facility to strengthen its supply chain.

91裸聊视频淐ompanies with really strong supply chains are going full bore,91裸聊视频� Winder says. 91裸聊视频淚f you have the inventory and the logistics in place, you91裸聊视频檙e not taking a chance because you know you can take some market share this year.91裸聊视频�

Yet research ahead of the holidays suggests shoppers will be out in full force, spending dollars at both local businesses and bigger stores.

Multiple surveys have found that pent-up demand and the fear of shortages has encouraged consumers to cross items off their list early, pushing holiday shopping even earlier than the typical 91裸聊视频淏lack Friday creep91裸聊视频� observed in years past.

Black Friday is officially Nov. 26 this year, while Cyber Monday is on Nov. 29. But sales have been running for several weeks already.

91裸聊视频淏lack Friday is no longer a day, it91裸聊视频檚 an entire shopping season,91裸聊视频� says Tandy Thomas, an associate professor of marketing at Queen91裸聊视频檚 University91裸聊视频檚 Smith School of Business.

91裸聊视频淩etailers are moving sales ahead because consumers are looking for deals and buying earlier.91裸聊视频�

She adds: 91裸聊视频淭he perception of scarcity has also pushed the timeline even earlier this year.91裸聊视频�

Indeed, Mastermind Toys CEO Sarah Jordan says shoppers were asking for the store91裸聊视频檚 signature holiday gift wrap in August 91裸聊视频� four months before Christmas.

91裸聊视频淗oliday shopping is definitely peaking earlier,91裸聊视频� she says. 91裸聊视频淲e just had our best October in the company91裸聊视频檚 37-year history.91裸聊视频�

The Toronto-based toy retailer has sold out of one of the hottest toys of the year 91裸聊视频� the Magic Mixies magical misting cauldron 91裸聊视频� twice. Both times, the toy was out of stock within 24 hours of going on sale.

Research conducted in the run up to the holiday shopping period predicted a big spending year.

91裸聊视频淐anadians are expected to spend more this season than they did even before the pandemic, with many consumers flush with savings and feeling upbeat about the economy,91裸聊视频� Deloitte Canada91裸聊视频檚 2021 Holiday Retail Outlook said.

Overall, Canadians plan to spend an estimated $1,841 on the holidays, compared to $1,405 last year 91裸聊视频� an increase of 31 per cent, Deloitte said in its holiday report. That91裸聊视频檚 also about eight per cent above the $1,706 reported in 2019.

Deloitte also noted that rising concerns over supply-chain issues and potential product shortages will persuade many Canadians 91裸聊视频� especially those who have weathered the pandemic well 91裸聊视频� to start shopping early. The report found 35 per cent of holiday shoppers said they planned to start shopping before November.

Meanwhile, brands that overcome supply chain challenges may find themselves winning new customers, the Deloitte report said.

91裸聊视频淎ny company or brand that91裸聊视频檚 seen to go the extra mile to overcome supply chain challenges may find themselves winning new customers for the long term.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频擝rett Bundale, The Canadian Press