Just under half of shoppers in Atlantic Canada have already started their Christmas shopping, and according to the Retail Council of Canada that is good for local business.

According to the council, 45 per cent of people in Atlantic Canada have already started buying gifts for the holiday season, much higher than the national average of 28 per cent.

Jim Cormier, the Atlantic Director with the Retail Council, says that by people getting out and starting early they are helping to support the retail sector in the province. He says mega sales like Black Friday really help to boost business.

He says it helps move inventory before the end of the calendar year, as opposed to the old days when the final push was in the last week of the year with Boxing Day sales.