Shoppers head out for Boxing Day shopping amid pandemic

Barely anything in 2020 feels normal, and Boxing Day has been no exception.

Normally a day filled with chaos as shoppers head out in bunches to try and find the best post-Christmas deals, but things had a different feel this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was less hectic for sure. It was more controlled actually, it was kind of nice. To put a positive spin on this pandemic, it was a lot more organized and a lot more people could help you. I came out with this (computer) monitor here and in past years, it would have taken me longer to find somebody,” said Will Hopfauf, who had lined up outside Best Buy at 7:30 a.m. Saturday.

Due to the pandemic, the Saskatchewan government added new restrictions for stores that began on Dec. 25. Retail services now have their capacity reduced to 50 per cent. Large big box retailers, as defined in the public health order, must reduce to 25 per cent of capacity.

“People were maintaining their distance, people had their masks on. It’s really no different than any other place right now,” said Ron, who went out and bought a new TV. “It still feels kind of normal but normal has kind of changed the past couple months.”

Ben Auzenne said it did seem similar to other Boxing Days at Wal-Mart.

“A little bit more organized in terms of people going in and out. People were lined up outside before we got here and we were waiting for about 30 minutes or so. We only came in because we needed to return a television as a gift.

“I think people who were going to be going out and buying a lot of stuff on Boxing Day are still the same people regardless of the pandemic,” said Auzenne.

But for some, at least one thing remained the same – the joy of getting back home and enjoying that new purchase.