Shoppers arrive in Midtown Saskatoon early on Boxing Day hoping to cash in on some bargains.
Evan Ernst arrived at the Midtown Mall at 8:00 a.m. M.
“We got there at 8:00 am, I have some H&M stuff,” Ernst said. “I got a ton of gift cards and money for Christmas, so I came here and spent it.”
Bernard Hobbs was another shopper eager to hit the store on Sunday morning. He was looking for electronic gadgets and things for his wife and children.
“My wife wants more clothes, my daughter wants the same, so seeing what we can get,” Hobbs said.
The mall opened its doors at 8:00 am on Saint Stephen’s Day, which is three hours before the usual Sunday opening time. Many major retailers in the mall were offering huge savings. For local businesses like Handmade in Saskatchewan, selling products from Saskatchewan vendors, they don’t offer massive sales, but instead expect people to cash in their shopping center gift cards in-store.
“We are definitely expecting a lot of Boxing Day buyers. The mall is definitely busy as people are shopping with gift cards, “said April Goertzen, manager of Handmade Saskatchewan.
All its products are handmade in the province, selling bunny hugs, body care products, candles, kitchenware, posters with proverbs and fudge. For the store, it is an opportunity to make up for lost revenue in what has been a difficult year for many companies.
“It has definitely been difficult and a lot of people are struggling, people are losing their jobs,” Goertzen said.
COVID-19 Concerns on Boxing Day
As people flock to crowded malls and shopping centers, ER Doctor Kashif Pirzada advises people to go online.
“If you go to a store, in a crowded space, because of the way the virus is spread through the air, even if you take off your mask for a few minutes and if the area is saturated with the virus, you will contract, “Pirzada said.
He recommends those buying in person to have a high quality N-95 mask.
Reference-saskatoon.ctvnews.ca