Boxing Day madness hits the malls
Posted December 26, 2010 1:10 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
TORONTO, Ont. – The gifts have been unwrapped, leftover turkey has been put into Rubbermaid containers and the roads are busy once again, which can only mean one thing – it’s Boxing Day!
The moment Christmas Day officially wrapped up, people already began to line up at stores. People sat through the night for hours, shivering in the cold, waiting for the doors to open.
“The first person in line here today, they say they got here at midnight, and the second people in line got here at one-o’-clock this morning. I got here at just about four-o’-clock,” one 680News listener said, in line at a Future Shop at the 401 and Weston Road.
Meanwhile, at another Future Shop in Whitby, customers were affected by malfunctioning debit and credit card machines once the doors opened.
At a WalMart in Brampton, the crowd was somewhat over-enthusiastic when the doors opened.
Another listener told 680News there were “ten cop cars, two fire trucks and the cops are inside trying to keep order.”
680’s own Pam Chiotti decided to check out the Eaton Centre and said the sales were mostly drawing a youthful crowd.
“The clothing stores are really the big draw right now. Some of them offering discounts of up to about 50 per cent but if you’re not between the age of 18 and 34 then you’re somewhere else. I haven’t seen any young children, I haven’t seen anybody my mother’s age.
“It seems to be clothing that’s the big draw. I’ve seen a couple of line ups, and they were both for clothing stores. One for men’s in particular, and the other for Ambercrombie and Fitch.”
For those who have yet to head out, retail analyst Marshall Cohen said navigating the Boxing Day crowds comes down to two simple rules: “Check the lines before you walk in, and wear comfortable shoes.”
Boxing Day is historically one of the busiest shopping days of the year, with retailers typically offering major bargains to lure consumers.
However, many stores launched their Boxing Day sales early online, leading some experts to predict less traffic in stores.
