Brandon Sun - PRINT EDITION
BRUCE BUMSTEAD/BRANDON SUN Enlarge Image
Shoppers Mall was filled with bargain hunters as stores put items on sale during Wednesday’s Boxing Day event.
What’s traditionally known as the shopping holiday in Canada left some Brandonites feeling underwhelmed this year.
Jim and Donna Allen and their granddaughter Zoe with their new iPad from Future Shop on Wednesday. (LAUREN PARSONS/BRANDON SUN)
Hunter and Blake with a PlayStation 3 Hunter bought with his own money yesterday at Shoppers Mall. (LAUREN PARSONS/BRANDON SUN)
"I couldn’t believe there was a place to park," said Shane LaPierre, who was at Canadian Tire to exchange a bike he bought his eight-year-old son for Christmas.
"I thought I was going to have to wait in line for at least an hour at customer service."
LaPierre said he has gone shopping on Boxing Day before, and usually looks at flyers, but says he didn’t spot too many deals this year.
"They (Canadian Tire) only had like eight things on special today," he said.
Other shoppers woke up early to find a good price and wound up disappointed.
"We went to Future Shop at 6 a.m. to find a camera, but there weren’t any deals on the ones we wanted," said Yafev Liang, who ended up buying a camera from Black’s Photography in Shoppers Mall later in the day.
The mall wasn’t the stampede of people that can usually be expected on Dec. 26.
This year, a Sun reporter saw more people in line at Tim Hortons than at most stores.
With Canada adopting the American traditional shopping holiday Black Friday, and online sales like Cyber Monday, the attention seems to be taken away from Boxing Day.
"The online shopping definitely affects the way people shop. Consumers are smart these days — people know what they want and where to get it, and often that can be online," said Mike Rasel, the store manager at RONA.
RONA joined in the sales for the first time this year, offering door-crashing specials.
"We opened at 7:30 a.m. and almost everything (on special) was gone by around 8:30 a.m., but we’ve been slow since then," he said.
Jim Allen was at Rona for an air-compressor before his wife Donna was awake, but they went out together later in the day with their granddaughter Zoe to shop for one the biggest sellers of the day — electronics. In 2009, the Sun reported an estimated 300 people in line before Future Shop opened. An employee said there was no lineup Wednesday morning, but around 500 people camped out in their cars before the store opened at 6 a.m.
The Allens received some gift certificates for Christmas and decided to use them for a new iPad at Future Shop.
Shayne Mellis had help from the employees of Extreme Electronics to carry a new big-screen TV to his mother’s van.
"I needed a new TV, and it’s Boxing Day. That’s the day to do it," he said.
Yesterday was also an exciting day for a boy named Hunter who bought a PlayStation 3 with his own money.
"I’m really happy," he said.
Hunter has been saving money for the PS3 since his birthday in November, and decided to make the purchase yesterday to get a good deal.
» lparsons@brandonsun.com
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition December 27, 2012
We want you to tell us what you think of our articles. If the story moves you, compels you to act or tells you something you didn’t know, mark it high. If you thought it was well written, do the same. If it doesn’t meet your standards, mark it accordingly.
You can also register and/or login to the site and join the conversation by leaving a comment.
Rate it yourself by rolling over the stars and clicking when you reach your desired rating. We want you to tell us what you think of our articles. If the story moves you, compels you to act or tells you something you didn’t know, mark it high.
The Brandon Sun does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. Comments are moderated before publication. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
What’s traditionally known as the shopping holiday in Canada left some Brandonites feeling underwhelmed this year.
"I couldn’t believe there was a place to park," said Shane LaPierre, who was at Canadian Tire to exchange a bike he bought his eight-year-old son for Christmas.
Already subscribed? Login to view full article.
Not yet a subscriber? Click Here to Signup
What’s traditionally known as the shopping holiday in Canada left some Brandonites feeling underwhelmed this year.
"I couldn’t believe there was a place to park," said Shane LaPierre, who was at Canadian Tire to exchange a bike he bought his eight-year-old son for Christmas.
A subscription to the Brandon Sun Newspaper is required to view this article. Please update your user information if you are already a newspaper subscriber.
Most Popular
Sort by: Newest to Oldest | Oldest to Newest | Most Popular 0 Comments
You can comment on most stories on brandonsun.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.