As thousands of people huddle in lines outside malls and big box stores in the U.S., the Black Market craze is slowly catching on north of the border as some Canadian retailers drop their prices to keep sales at home.

In Etobicoke, about 50 bargain hunters were in line outside the Toys "R" Us at Sherway Gardens when the store opened its doors at 7 a.m.

The early birds told CP24 they showed up early to capitalize on some advertised holiday shopping deals.

Valerie Groulx showed up early to buy gifts for her grandchildren and said she saved about $210 because of the bargains.

"I've got all my shopping done and I'm going to get to work on time," she said.

Another shopper, Jennifer, said she chose to shop at home after a negative Black Friday experience in Buffalo.

"It's absolutely insane and I'll never do it again," Jennifer, who didn't give her last name, said of the Black Friday crowds in the U.S. "I think the sales are good but I don't want to be trampled on."

Several stores in the Greater Toronto Area have been advertising deals to keep Canadians' hard-earned cash at home - Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy, among them - but many retailers don't use the "Black Friday" term.

Low-key feel at Eaton Centre

At Eaton Centre, Black Friday had a low-key feel even though shoppers seemed aware of the day from media ads and some said they planned to take advantage of the discounts.

"Everyone goes over to Buffalo or whatever on Black Friday, so it's good that they're bring it here," said Julia McCoy, who planned to take advantage of the sales.

As she handed out flyers outside a Sears store at Eaton Centre, Rania Atabani said the Black Friday pitch appeared to be luring customers.

"It's really busy, crazy busy," Atabani said.

The Black Friday shopping craze, held the day after American Thanksgiving, got its start in the U.S. and draws thousands of shoppers because of rock-bottom sales on everything from electronics and household items to clothing and children's toys.

Stores open early in the morning, but people often begin camping out days in advance to save hundreds of dollars on big-ticket items or to get a deal on the holiday's must-have gifts.

Some Canadians travelled across the border to get a jump on holiday shopping.

"I hope to achieve some good deals and save some money on Christmas presents," said Hamilton resident Karen Wood as she waited to enter the U.S. at the Fort Erie-Buffalo border crossing.

Violence reported at U.S. stores

The rush and competition among shoppers is so intense violence or heated confrontations occasionally occur.

In Los Angeles, 20 people at a local Walmart store suffered minor injuries when a woman used pepper spray to gain a "competitive" shopping advantage after the store opened Thursday night, gunfire erupted early Friday outside a mall in Fayetteville, N.C., and two women were injured and a man was charged after a fight broke out at a Walmart in upstate New York, the Associated Press reported.

Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year in the U.S., marks the start of that country's retail season, but Americans aren't the only ones trying to find bargains.

Many Canadians head south of the border to take part in the shopping frenzy, and that fact hasn't gone unnoticed by Canadian retailers who are losing out on potential sales.

Sally Ritchie, spokeswoman for the Retail Council of Canada, expects Canadian stores, especially those in cities close to the border, to be aggressive and offer big savings.

"Retailers saw this as a call to action to keep consumers in Canada," Ritchie said. "They're responding with the big discounts and sales and scratch-and-saves and extended store hours to satisfy that need here in Canada.

Most retail analysts expect more cross-border shopping this holiday season from Canadians looking to stretch their wallets and find U.S. bargains.

A recent Bank of Montreal survey suggests nearly one in five Canadians, or 18 per cent, plan to shop in the U.S. this holiday season, well above last year.

In Canada, shoppers usually have to wait until Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, to find big discounts.

Black Friday is followed days later by another big shopping day for U.S. retailers. Cyber Monday, held the Monday following U.S. Thanksgiving, is a day when retailers offer online sales to cap off the shopping weekend.

With files from CP24's Katie Simpson and the Canadian Press

@ChrisKitching is on Twitter