Black Friday has a cost nobody prints in the flyer.

The hours spent chasing promo details.

From my desk today

A retailer told me this week how irritating promo periods have become.

Not the sales. The sales are great.

The chasing.

Every year, they have to go after each supplier, one by one, to find out what's on promotion, at what price, and for how long. The details come in different formats, at different times, and sometimes only after a follow-up call.

By the time the information is all in one place, half the planning window is gone.

I understood the frustration completely. And I was glad I had a better answer for them.

The retailer reality

If you carry dozens of brands, promo season turns into a part-time job:

  • Which brands are running a deal this year?
  • Which SKUs, at what price, and from what date to what date?
  • Is it an instant rebate, a price drop, a bundle?
  • What's the advertised price you're allowed to show?

Miss one answer, and you either skip a deal your competitor runs, or advertise a price you can't honour.

And your customers plan ahead. They're comparing before they buy, and they expect your flyer, your website and your shelf to be ready on day one.

Behind the scenes at Randmar

Here's what I told that retailer.

All the promos, in one place.

At Randmar, the promotion information for all our manufacturers is centralized in the Randmar platform. In just a few clicks, you can see what's running, on which products, and for how long.

No chasing. No inbox archaeology. One place to look, for every brand we carry.

The same offer, for everyone.

Manufacturer promotions and instant rebates flow through our Manufacturer Portal. Every reseller sees the same offer, at the same time. It's transparent, and nobody gets a surprise after the fact.

Advertised prices you can trust.

Our MAP policy applies to all resellers. During promo season, that means the advertised price is clear, and the store down the street isn't undercutting you on the same deal.

Stock that keeps up with the deal.

A great promo is useless if the product doesn't show up. With over 20,000 SKUs in stock at our Laval and Edmonton hubs, a 3 p.m. local cut-off for same-day shipping and typical delivery in 1 to 3 days, you can reorder the items that are moving while the promo is still running.

Why it matters this year.

Canadians treat Black Friday as the start of holiday shopping

84%
say Black Friday is their most important shopping day
80%
compare prices online
1–3 wks
more than half start researching this far ahead
  • 84% of Canadians surveyed say Black Friday is their most important shopping day.
  • 80% compare prices online.
  • More than half begin researching 1 to 3 weeks in advance.

What it means for you: your promo details need to be ready weeks before Black Friday, not the night before. Shoppers are already comparing.

Source: Retail Council of Canada × Leger, 2025 Holiday Shopping Survey (2,505 Canadians, August 5 to 25, 2025).

My real point

Black Friday is won in October, not in November.

The retailers who have every promo in hand early are the ones who are ready when shoppers start comparing.

Your quick win this week

List your 10 best-selling brands and check whether you already have their Black Friday promo details. For every blank, that's a supplier you'll be chasing in November. If they're Randmar brands, log in and look them up now.

Your turn

How many suppliers do you have to chase for promo details every year? And do you even have time to do all this legwork?