Holiday bargain hunters were able to tap into Boxing Day shopping earlier than ever before this year, courtesy of the Internet.
In B.C., electronic giants Future Shop and Best Buy opened up access to year-end sales online as of 5 p.m. Christmas Eve. Normally, shoppers looking for those door-crasher deals, both online and in person, have had to wait until the morning of Dec. 26 -- one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
Cheryl Grant, spokeswoman for Future Shop in Vancouver, said the online sale attracted "a large volume of people" to the company website.
The story was the same at Best Buy, according to company spokeswoman Heather Seabrook.
Hot ticket items included flat panel televisions, laptop computers, digital cameras and MP3 players, Seabrook said.
Grant said the success of the store's online sales isn't expected to affect the crowds anticipated to hit the stores today in search of after-Christmas deals.
"There is a different market for online shoppers and those that go out to the store," she said.
For many people, participating in Boxing Day sales in person is all part of the seasonal fun.
"It's an experience for them. They like to be part of that energy and be first through the door," Grant said.
Millions of Canadians are expected to pack shopping malls today to take advantage of discount prices on everything from electronic toys to clothes, shoes and household items.
This year's Boxing Day sales are expected to ring in at about $1.9 billion across the country, according to a survey by Visa Canada.
Last year, almost six million Canadians went in search of Boxing Day bargains with the average shopper planning to spend $319, said Visa Canada. The total amount spent on Boxing Day in 2005 topped $1.8 billion, Visa reported.
In B.C., more than 800,000 people took part in the Dec. 26, 2005 sales, spending about $231 million.
Stores are expected to be open earlier than usual today to welcome the onslaught of bargain-hunters.
But a warning for those hoping to swap those not-so-wanted gifts for something more palatable: many retailers will not be accepting returns.
Pamela Davies, manager of Urban Barn at Park Royal Shopping Centre, said her store, like many others, won't accept returns on Boxing Day, simply because it gets too busy.
The Visa survey of 1,508 adult Canadians, conducted last month, shows B.C. shoppers expect to spend $917 on holiday gifts this year, up from $828 a year ago but slightly below the national average of $930.
B.C. survey respondents cited clothing as the most popular item they'd like to receive as a gift (16 per cent), followed by cash and electronics (11 per cent each), gift cards or certificates (10 per cent), books (nine per cent) and jewelry (seven per cent).