Whether it was people eager to spend that Christmas money right away or waiting for a big-ticket item, the malls and stores around Prince George were bustling with Boxing Day activity all day on Wednesday.
Some diehards lined up early to get gatecrasher specials, while other shoppers made a day of it to find the best deal.
Kiersten Prestwich said she often takes advantage of sales during the week after Christmas, but this year decided to take the plunge and go to the mall on Boxing Day itself.
It's a little crazy with the lineups in the stores and the amount of people, it's just nuts, she said as she and her family waited in a line about two dozen people long at EB Games at Pine Centre in the middle of the afternoon.
Traffic at the video games store had been steady all day according to a clerk, who was making sure only about 25 people were in the store at any one time.
Prestwich didn't mind the crowd control measures, if it meant easier shopping once she was inside.
I don't think it's a big deal, she said. You've got to do what you've got to do, otherwise the stores get too full and too crowded.
Teddy Prince was also in line at EB Games and had made other stops at electronic stores earlier in the day and said everywhere is crazy.
A regular at the Boxing Day sales, he said waiting in all the lines doesn't bother him because of all the deals that are out there.
I paid $29 dollars for Internet security software instead of paying $80, he said, referring to a purchase he made earlier in the day. Yeah, it's worth it.
Some shoppers decided to forego the traditional early morning start to the Boxing Day madness and avoid some of the longer lines by waiting until the afternoon.
John Woods figured he saved about 50 per cent on the mount for his TV he picked up at Visions and didn't have to wait too long to get to the check out.
I don't like waiting in line too much, so I waited until it wasn't too hectic, he said, noting he picks his spots on his Boxing Day shopping excursions and doesn't necessarily go every year.
Visions general manger Ross Dunlop arrived at his electronics store two hours before its 6 a.m. opening to get ready for the big day. Despite unlocking the doors an hour earlier than in the past, there were still about 40 people lined up outside waiting to get the first crack at hot items like 40-inch LED TVs and tablets.
Dunlop said, although Visions does do a lot of business online, some customer still like to get caught up in the Boxing Day rush.
There's still the excitement of getting up and being the first one through the doors when it opens up, Dunlop said. It's pretty exhilarating.
For retail staff, Boxing Day sales can make for a long day with a never-ending stream of customers, but Dunlop said there are ways to get through the day.
This is the marathon, everyone knows every year this is what we do, he said, noting some of the tricks of the trade his staff use include bringing comfortable shoes and stocking up on their favourite energy drinks. At the end of the day, sure we move a lot of boxes out and people are happy to great a great deal but the sales people can make quite decent money as well, so everybody wins.
