The lines were long, but the tempers were much shorter for shoppers on Boxing Day.
Bargain hunters made their annual pilgrimage en masse today at popular shopping centers throughout Canada, England and many former British territories — all lured by steep sales on the holiday, which falls the day after Christmas.
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Similarly to Black Friday in the United States (the day after Thanksgiving), many people have the next day after Christmas off and partake in retail therapy at steep discounts.
According to retail data company Springboard, compared to last year, online shopping is up 11.5 percent. Foot traffic at retailers is down by 6 percent, reports Reuters.
Still, the extra elbow room in stores was hardly noticeable for some consumers who vented on social media.
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“Total chaos at the Gals today…. happy Boxing Day l,” a shopper at Montreal’s CF Galeries d’Anjou luxury shopping plaza captioned a selfie, noting several grievances in his hashtags: “shoving, pushing, people complain they have money.”
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Also in Canada, CF Toronto Eaton Centre’s was bustling with business. “I am almost certain every man, woman, and child in Canada is inside this mall right now. #boxingday,” a peeved bargain hunter captioned an Instagram photo of a packed mall.
Across the pond, the shopping frenzy was in full force. At a North London streetwear store, shoppers were shoulder to shoulder trying to navigate the aisles, an Instagram video revealed. “Sales rush,” the user captioned the clip.
The scene didn’t look much different from the hectic store shuffle at London’s Westfield Stratford City. “Welcome to westfield…” read an Instagram video caption.
The madness wasn’t just inside — it was just as chaotic on the streets. Highlighting the gridlock, an Instagram user said in a series of hashtags that he was “stuck in traffic” and “couldn’t shop,” so he decided to go “back to home.”
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There was plenty of room for tap dancing on the streets — literally — outside Harrods, where performers clad in tuxedos entertained shoppers in the queue.
Lines wrapped around street blocks, an Instagram user complained. “Boxing day at Harrods. Full of people!!!!! I almost died,” she captioned an Instagram photo.
Meanwhile, inside the store, chaos wasn’t spared. A shopper seen in an Instagram photo rummaged through apparel and shoes that were scattered on the sales floor.
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A shopper outside of Selfridges took the madness in stride, pointing out the novelty of the situation. “This is called #The Queue 😂😂😂 #selfridges #oxfordstreet #london,” she captioned an Instagram photo of the line, adding laughing emoji icons.
