Calgary Boxing Day shoppers flock to box stores but a few prefer to keep it local

Yamen Khare was one of thousands of shoppers to visit the Sunridge Best Buy Friday.

For Salim Khan, a Boxing Day trip to the Sunridge Best Buy paid off.

Khan needed a computer monitor a few months ago, but a preliminary visit to the Best Buy made him decide to wait and see if he could get a better deal on Boxing Day.

“It was expensive, $400, “ Khan said. ”I get it (today) for $129, so I’m happy to save a couple hundred dollars!”

Khan was just one of thousands who were expected to make it to the Sunridge Best Buy to search out a deal Friday, as Boxing Day shoppers fanned out to stores across the city on one of the busiest days of the year for retail.

“It’s very exciting on Boxing Day,” said Best Buy store leader Hashmeed Singh. “The biggest shopping day of the year!”

Singh said any suggestion that Black Friday has supplanted Boxing Day as the biggest shopping day of the year is false.

“(We have) three times the amount of customers who come on Black Friday,” he said.

Seeking deals

They come in search of one thing: deals.

And Singh said Best Buy delivers plenty of those.

“Like I said, (we have an) 86-inch TV for only $800,” he said. “There’s a vacuum going for only $300, which is a Roomba vacuum, and a Phillips coffee machine going for $300, down from a thousand bucks -- which is incredible.

“We have Sony headphones going for only $200,” he added, “(and a) 43-inch TV going for $200.”

He said there are a few surefire items shoppers come looking for, but it’s not always the same thing.

“Customers come for varied needs, because we carry a lot,” he said. “But a lot of the deals are hot – (there is) a lot of excitement around TVs, laptops, (and) phones is another one as well.

“Mixed appliances is pretty big around this time of year,” he added.

“And great gift things. (There are) still people are buying those for themselves.”

Singh said the store schedules ten times the usual staff on Boxing Day.

“The full team is in,” he said.

‘Subject to the weather’

Meanwhile in Inglewood, Thomas Barnicki, who owns Genuine Design, a second-hand consignment store, had a different sort of approach to Boxing Day shoppers.

“We really want to incentivize people to buy full outfits,” Barnicki said, “so the more items you buy, you get a little bit more of a discount.

“It does move inventory, (and) it helps us dress you a bit better -- (and it helps you) start the new year with a fresh fit.”

Barnicki also had new sneakers on sale at 50 per cent off -- “which is incredible,” he said -- and was offering 10 per cent off on everything in the glass case accessories, such as designer wallets, jewelry and sunglasses.

He said Boxing Day -- and any other shopping day -- is a little more hit-and-miss in Inglewood, and other small businesses that are located in urban villages.

“We try to make the best of it to be honest,” he said. “We’re not in a big mall, we’re in Inglewood, and (here) you’re subject to the weather, you’re subject to the vibes of the people out there.

“Some years, people just don’t want to go out on Boxing Day, or sometimes, for whatever reason, you’re subject to the ebbs and flows of whatever the people are feeling.

“But we try to put it out there,” he added. “It helps us clear out some winter inventory and make space for new arrivals. We get new stuff every day, so it’s just important for us to be able to turn over inventory.”

One person shopping local Friday was Mattias Burrows.

“Shopping in Inglewood, you can get sustainable fashion so not fast fashion going to waste,” Burrows said. “You’re supporting local businesses rather than big corporations so we’re feeding the small people rather the big people who have (already) been fed.”

‘They’ve done the research’

What makes Boxing Day shopping more competitive is that shoppers come armed with knowledge says one Canadian retail analyst.

“You probably want to go out today if you’re going to go out, just because the inventory might be depleted,” Bruce Winder told CTV News Channel on Friday.

“I jumped on the Amazon and Walmart and Canadian Tire websites this morning, and they all have some pretty good deals … if you kind of wait, you might miss out on the inventory, it might be sold out. So, if you’ll see something you like, it’s best to buy it as soon as possible.”

Winder said that across Canada, he expects Boxing Day to be “pretty brisk” this year, as shoppers continue to flock to deals, with many having saved some of their planned holiday shopping for products with post-Christmas discounts.

“They’re probably not buying as much at regular price,” he said.

“They’re saving up that money and really going after the deals ... so that’s something that I think you’ll see play well into Boxing Day today.”

According to Vividata, an organization that collects and analyzes consumer behaviour in Canada, Boxing Week is set to see a similar rate of participation this year compared to 2024, with 8.6 million Canadians expected to make purchases.

‘The better option’

Back at the Sunridge Best Buy, another shopper, Yamen Khare, pronounced his Boxing Day outing a triumph.

“I was actually planning to buy a robot vacuum and mop because Boxing Day always has good deals around, and Best Buy is the best place to go for it, so I’m going to get this one,” he said.

“I searched on Amazon, Visions, everything and I found the better deal on Best Buy,“ he added.

“I’ve been waiting a long, long time for it now. I’ve been doing a lot of research and everything and I think this is the better option for me.”

With files from CTV’s Tyler Barrow and Jordan Fleguel