Malls and stores in Edmonton were extremely busy Saturday, as thousands of shoppers hunted for a good Boxing Day bargain.
The large turnout is despite of a rise in online shopping. Shoppers could have stayed home and cashed in on the discounts online, but many still chose to take part in person.
Jeff McMurachy who was at a Best Buy in west Edmonton searching for a television, said he preferred shopping in store over online. “It’s convenient. You buy it, you pick it up, and you go home with it,” he said.
Another shopper, Nicole Smith, said she preferred to go shopping herself, because of shipping issues. “Where I wanted shoes,” she said, “they don’t ship to Canada.”
A recent survey done by Colliers International compared Black Friday to Boxing Day flyers and determined that more than half of the items were the same price on both days. It also showed that Boxing Day has bigger discounts than Black Friday in Canada.
Kristen Larrea with Retail Me Not said that Boxing Day popularity hasn’t gone down because of Black Friday.
“I think a lot of people took advantage of Black Friday to shop and save money on gifts for others. Whereas now, they’re utilizing boxing week to take advantage of discounts for themselves,” Larrea said.
“What we found is that a lot of people are still interested in shopping following the holidays,” she continued.
For those who didn’t make it out on Boxing Day, there is still opportunity for savings, as many stores will be offering Boxing Day sales throughout the rest of the week.
With files from Kelsey Nichols
