Boxing Day sales take on a new look in the COVID-19 era
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VANCOUVER – With COVID-19 restrictions preventing the usual massive crowds, retailers expect most Canadians will head online to score Boxing Day deals.
Health restrictions are calling for steps to prevent shoppers from unwillingly spreading the virus. While some stores will be open in British Columbia, that isn’t the case in other parts of the country. Ontario’s provincewide lockdown begins today, joining Quebec and Manitoba in closing non-essential retail.
Farla Efros, president of H-R-C Retail Advisory, says there will be fire-sale prices on some items. She says retailers don’t want to get stuck with a backlog of holiday and seasonal inventory and also need to shore up their balance sheets in the face of mounting lockdowns and restrictions.
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control says wearing a mask is required by both staff and customers in all indoor public spaces including shopping malls, grocery stores, and other retail settings. It suggests sanitizing your hands often during your shopping trip to avoid the virus. And it recommends you avoid handling cash and instead use touch-free payment methods such as debit cards or credit cards.
