Hundreds line up to score Boxing Day bargains
Posted December 26, 2011 5:54 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Online Boxing Day sales may have started on Christmas Eve, but many Canadians continue to flock to shops on Boxing Day for the annual post-Christmas rush.
Some shoppers began lining up in near freezing temperatures outside the Best Buy on Cambie Street at 10 p.m. on Sunday.
One man we spoke with says it’s totally worth it. “For a number of the items, yes. For those looking for the 60-inch TV, I mean if you’re knocking $500 off and considering we’re going to line up for about five or six hours, it’s $100 an hour.”
But another man we chatted with disagrees. “The deals aren’t as good as they used to be. The deals start a lot sooner and they’re normally getting rid of their older stock than giving away some of the good stuff.”
Others said they tried shopping online, but what they wanted wasn’t available.
Many of the shoppers at other big box stores, like Future Shop, were prepared for the long lines with chairs, hot drinks and in one case a heater
Some told us lining up for Boxing Day was part of their annual Christmas tradition and they also enjoy hanging out with friends.
Who’s buying what
The three hottest ticket items are laptops, iPods and TVs.
Individual stores aren’t the only ones that are busy. Malls are packed with thousands of people.
Ae survey conducted by Visa shows almost one-quarter of us will be in buying mode today, spending an average of $243 per person.
Should you decide to stay behind your computer screen, you’re likely to spend about $78. And whether or not you do stay in to buy depends on your gender. Women are 10 per cent more likely to do Boxing Day web surfing.
In addition, if you’re over 55 there’s a 70 per cent chance you’ll be doing your buying in person.
Regardless of your shopping behaviour, remember to use up any gift cards you may have received for Christmas. Many people forget about them, as the latest stats show the cash on 40 per cent of them is never touched.
Expert wonders why people still hit stores on Boxing Day
Don’t even bother going to the malls to get Boxing Day bargains, says one expert. Talya Schaeffer, the founder of Cyber Black Friday says your chances of actually getting what you want online is way better than going to a store.
She doesn’t quite understand why people rush to the mall, when they could just sit in their underwear and pyjamas at home to shop online. “I think you get a wider variety and you have more stores at your fingertips,” she explains.
A recent survey she conducted shows about 50 per cent of people shop online thanks to constant Internet access through smartphones and tablets. “There are just more devices out there that are Internet capable and people are using these to be able to shop online and then possibly shop from their laptop or desktop at home.”
Another bonus, she says, are the deals some companies offer that are exclusive through their websites.
She reminds consumers to apply the same rules shopping online as they would in a store, namely to check the exchange and return policy and be careful of credit card fraud.
