Canadian shoppers craving a deal increasingly turn to Black Friday, a sales bonanza imported from America, where retailers have always slashed their prices the day after their Thanksgiving holiday, seemingly at the expense of another sales spree, Boxing Day. there was a recent study done by the Retail Council of Canada and it estimates Canadians will spend $12.6 billion dollars on the day after American Thanksgiving, more than ever before.

As humans, we seek deals because they offer the allure of the exclusive and desirable; conversely, we are anxious to take advantage while the sale lasts, because we want to avoid losing out by squandering a rare opportunity. Black Friday, we are emphatically reminded, comes around only once every year. Supplies are limited; act now, don’t delay, miss this and you will live to regret it. The impression that an event such as Black Friday creates. It produces a sense of urgency, and we are powerfully drawn to seize the day.

The psychology of discounts has been well-documented. Occasions such as Black Friday exploit two characteristics of human behaviour simultaneously: the desire for pleasure and the avoidance of pain. It’s not necessarily having saved money that matters. It’s the feeling of having saved and Black Friday offers that in spades.

The surge associated with sales and Black Friday above all creates a thrill, much like the climax of a horror movie.