Boxing Day sales can usually be counted on to bring out the crowds, and in Calgary, 2014 was no exception.
At the Future Shop in Sunridge Mall, customers started lining up as early as a little after midnight on Christmas Day, willing to brave the six hours in the cold before the store opened in their search for a bargain. When the doors opened at 6:00am, over 800 people were lined up, waiting to get in.
The customers who came out hoping to buy one of the featured 65-inch televisions needed to be one of the first into the building, as they were sold out within 15 minutes. However, there were still many other smaller models to choose from.
According to the Calgary Sun, some of the shoppers they spoke with noted that the big box-style stores were busier than the shopping centers, but the parking lots were still full. Many chose to leave their cars at home and take the CT train instead. Some of those who were asked felt that many people did a fair portion of their Boxing Day shopping online, which may have been the cause of the lower than expected numbers at the indoor stores in the shopping malls.
The end of December sales can be very brisk, and flyer printing companies can create advertising that captures this market. These can be sent out the week before Christmas, which will help people in planning their Boxing Day shopping schedule.
