With Christmas barely in the rearview mirror, consumers get a chance to cross the last items off their holiday wish lists.
Across the city, hundreds of people marked their post-Christmas morning by taking part in the bargain hunting display of commercialism grandeur that has become Boxing Day.
One of the more popular destinations was Thunder Bay’s lone Future Shop location, where people were lined up in advance of the electronics retailer’s 6 a.m. opening.
People at the front of the line, which grew to be upwards of a couple hundred people by the time the doors opened, arrived in the parking lot hours before the store’s opening.
“I got here at like 3:15 a.m.,” said Carmine Caruso, who was sitting in the pole position in line.
“I think they have some deals online that are different than in the store. I’m not sure if they’re the same, but (going in the store) you get it right away.”
Story continues after video...
By accounts of experienced Boxing Day shoppers, the lines were not as long as compared to years past.
While a flurry of die-hard shoppers had marked their territory, the last 15 minutes prior to opening saw a flurry of arrivals that tripled the crowd.
All in all, it was not the worst that many had seen.
“Usually I come here and the line is all the way out to Chapters and it’s ridiculous, but it’s not that bad this year,” Caruso said.
Michelle Poshtar was experiencing her first taste of Boxing Day shopping after spending a few years working in retail on the day after Christmas.
She thinks the promotion of other shopping days, as well as online options, might be decreasing the appeal for lining up in the cold to be the first through the doors.
“I think with Black Friday stuff stores are realizing that people have already spent money before Boxing Day so they’re going to be doing more sales for Black Friday too,” Poshtar said.
She added she was planning on going deal hunting at the Intercity Shopping Centre, as well as a few other businesses across town on Thursday.
For Caruso, he only has one other plan for the day after he is done checking out the store's camera selection.
“I’m going to go to bed after this,” he said.
“I’ve been up all night. I’m tired.”
