Boxing Week sales a mainstay for many retailers, but not everyone

PRINCE GEORGE — Boxing Day was once a day where people donated gifts to those in need, but it has now evolved into a day where people head out to the stores to find the best deals. Now Boxing Day has turned into Boxing Week, with deals and sales taking place throughout the rest of the week leading up until New Years. A busy shopping season in December will prelude a slower month in January for retailers.

One local business owner says he has seen the evolution of Boxing Day over the years.

“Over the three decades that we’ve been open, we’ve really seen a change from the customer’s perspective on what their expectation is for Boxing Day. It started off being they [shoppers] came out for Christmas. They were expecting to see those items for Christmas that didn’t sell at Christmas that maybe somebody over bought. It’s now turned into a week long event where we really try to look at a way to entice people come in and maybe balance our stock a little bit more, get rid of those items that we thought might have sold well at Christmas and then didn’t.”