Downtown businesses try to curb cross-border Christmas shopping

A recent study showed the Christmas shopping season is beginning earlierin Canadaandpeople are spending more money, though not always at theirlocal stores.

To many retailers in Montreal, yesterdays Santa Claus Parade signals the start of the holiday shopping seasonatime of the year some say is getting longer and longer.

• Canadians set to boost holiday shopping this year

Two-thirds of Montrealerssay theywill make holiday purchasesin the U.S.,cashing in on Black Friday deals online and instores.

Nearly 90per cent of cross-bordershoppers say they do it because the prices are lower.

Many Canadian retailers are now jumping on the bandwagon, offering early blowout sales to keep those dollars in the country.

Montreal's downtown association,DestinationCentre-Ville, istryingto draw shoppers to the city's core by offering entertainment alongsidethe shopping.

"We make sure there areactivities in downtown, to go to the museums, the concerts and so on.So it's not just the shopping, it's an experience,saysAndrPoulindirector of DestinationCentre-Ville.

However, Poulinsays one of the biggest motivating factors for holiday shoppers is beyond anyone's control.

"What we need is snow. The best thing to improve the holiday retail business is snow," saysPoulin.