Retailers in Calgary were ready for the onslaught of shoppers as malls across the city opened early to welcome Boxing Day bargain hunters.
The cold weather didn’t deter people from lining up at some stores to get the best deals.
Some electronics stores opened extra early and the lineups were long at the Future Shop on Macleod Trail as customers waited for the doors to open at 6:00 a.m.
Devon was one of the first to arrive and was shopping for a big screen TV.
“I got here at one and I would really like to save the $400,” said Devon.
Ishan Dadhich and Sunil Mysore camped outside the store and were bundled up to stay warm.
“I am here to get a digital camera and a laptop,” said Ishan. “This is my first experience of Boxing Day sale so one of the things is to experience Calgary’s cold and Boxing Day sale and the other thing is saving $500, so I definitely think it’s worth it.”
“I’m here to get a laptop,” said Sunil. “We got some padding on and a lot of layers of warm clothing so we’re good.”
Dustin Zammit is a regular Boxing Day bargain shopper and has been braving the cold and the lineups for about 15 years.
“I had a younger friend of mine come and stand in line in his winter garb and take the seat for me so I could sit in the warm car the whole night,” said Dustin. “Everyone here has been really laid back and relaxed. There hasn’t been any problem so it’s been a really good experience this year.
Zammit says he has saved about $15,000 on Boxing Day bargains over the years.
Electronics seem to be the most popular items and Visions staff in Richmond Square made sure they had plenty of stock.
“First things first we’ve got to make sure that we’re taking care of each and every client and customer that’s walking through our door,” said Store Manager Aaron Curtis. “This is our Super Bowl. It’s all about having fun.”
Curtis says staff members are excited and eager to make customers happy.
“There here to buy something, specifically looking at something in the flyer or specifically looking for something that their family members want them to get and we’re going to give them everything that they want to get this year,” said Curtis.
“I’m gonna save about 500 bucks almost,” said Brody Geiger “Worth staying up and standing in the cold.”
“We had to wait about 10 minutes outside, it was pretty cold but it wasn’t too bad to get these deals,” said Kevin Braun. “We had checked out everything on the internet and bought a 70 inch Sharp TV and a receiver to power the home theatre system. “
A recent poll by the Bank of Montreal shows that 76 percent of Albertans expect to do some shopping on Boxing Day
