Boxing Day still draws deal-hunters, even as online shopping grows

Deal seekers headed to stores and online on Boxing Day, as retailers leaned on extended sales to boost revenue.

Hitting the stores on Boxing Day has long been a staple of the holiday season. And shoppers were looking for deals - from bargains on gaming headsets to $ 2,000 off a 65-inch TV.

Thierry Lopez is a spokesperson for Best Buy. Although he’s seen a solid Boxing Day crowd, he admits that the store receives a significant number of orders online.

“We see a lot of people. They shop differently. Some of them, shopping online and some shopping in-store. And it’s really, it really depends on who you are. You know, you may prefer to be at home and stay in the pajamas and shop,” he says.

Trading puffer jackets for pj’s seems to be the trend. Before opening, roughly 20 to 30 customers were lined up outside Best Buy on Sainte-Catherine Street West on Friday morning.

But while Boxing Day lines aren’t what they used to be, retail analysts say stores are actually benefitting from a longer season of sales that draws more customers in.

Carl Boutet says stores count on this time of year to deliver up to 40 per cent of their annual revenue. And it makes good business sense to extend that window.

“It’s disproportionate and that much more important for them,” Boutet says.

“But that has changed, as we know, for a whole bunch of reasons - including just longer promotional periods, Black Friday, etc.,” he adds.

Longer sale seasons and economic hurdles aside, Boutet says 75 per cent of shoppers still opt for the brick and mortar experience.

And Best Buy customers agree that it’s not quite time for a wrap on Boxing Day.