A completely unscientific BayToday poll of Best Buy customers showed that people that own vehicles large enough to accommodate Boxing Day television purchases become increasingly popular after turkey dinner is finished on Christmas night.
Andrew and Tanner were the first to line up at Best Buy in the Northgate Shopping Centre Monday morning, arriving just before 5 a.m. Andrew, a Nipissing University student had his eye on a new laptop, while Tanner, a Widdifield student was hoping to find a good deal on a camera to bring with him travelling this summer.
Dylan, Logan and Adelle were among those who woke up before dawn, with the risk of freezing rain in the forecast, to purchase the items that Santa could not fit in his sleigh.
YouTube is chock full of Black Friday videos depicting people behaving badly south of the border when a good deal is on the line. Store security confidently reported no such incidents. The sleepy folks waiting outside Best Buy in North Bay on Boxing Day followed this example of shopping etiquette and were as Canadian as can be.
Best Buy general manager Drew Kingston, working his 13th Boxing Day (and sixth in North Bay), said that "everything goes smoothly," adding that if lineups grow too long there are systems in place to ensure that everyone gets inside.
"The customers in North Bay are great. They do it right, they are respectful," added Kingston.
Kingston said that televisions are the big sellers on Boxing Day, but noticed with Black Friday sales this past fall, that Smart Home, wearables, and drones are gaining in popularity.
Boxing Day is one of the biggest retail days of the year in Canada, and Best Buy was fully staffed with employees making a premium wage Monday.
At Walmart, a solitary woman waited, sitting in her lawn chair for the doors to open at 6 a.m. She was the first to emerge with what she termed "a steal of a deal," on a smart television, adding that "she'd never done this before." Three others quickly followed with the same model poking out of their shopping carts.
Walmart staff works on a strict volunteer basis on Boxing Day. Besides the lower prices on electronic items, staff said that discounted Christmas items are always a draw for bargain hunters on Boxing Day.
