Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year in the United States, and the super sales are sweeping in Canada as well.
Stores across Saskatoon were packed with shoppers looking for a deal as early as 7:00 a.m. Friday morning. If the lineups for Black Friday sales are any indication, the holiday shopping season in Saskatoon could be a brisk one. And stores need to find the extra staff to keep up.
Some managers say it’s been a challenge over the last couple of years to find employees. Julian Sanders, a manager with London Drugs, says they use all avenues to search for workers. “We've made effective use of advertising for jobs even in places like social media, on Twitter and Facebook. And Kijiji, we've had a lot of good applicants coming from there."
Each store has its own hiring policy. In some you can start at age 15 with parental consent, in others you have to be 18. Many stores are still trying to hire people, and shoppers like Mary Boyd have noticed the delays.
“There isn’t enough staff to go around, and everybody is asking for stuff so it's just normal. You just assume you're going to be here for a long time."
But the biggest employer this time of year, Santa Claus, says; he’s got all the help he needs. “We have many many elves and we have many more coming all the time. They just love to help Santa Claus with all the presents and all the toys."
Perhaps Saint Nick could offer some tips as extended shopping hours has already begun.
