Sudburians return to in-person shopping for Boxing Day

Shoppers in Sudbury woke up bright and early to head to the mall for Boxing Day shopping.

It was the first in three years without pandemic restrictions and the New Sudbury Centre was packed with shoppers by mid-afternoon.

Joel Mohr, assistant professor in the Faculty of Business Administration at Lakehead University, estimated stores would be busier than normal this year.

“I think sales will do quite well for Boxing Day this year,” he said.

Mohr added that he didn’t expect the “stampede” of customers seen pre-pandemic.

“There’s a general trend toward online shopping and many firms are offering Boxing Day sales all week, so we might not see that stampede of consumers in one given day,” Mohr said.

He added that consumers might be more likely to want to find deals due to the high cost of living.

“Consumers have been quite price-conscious and patient with their money this year due to the current state of the economy,” Mohr said.

“So they’re going to be patient and ready for those big deals to come out on Boxing Day.”

Many shoppers at New Sudbury Centre on Monday were shopping for clothes to update their wardrobes.

“I’m here to find clothes today, that’s about it,” one shopper said.

“At Sportchek, most of the stuff is 25 per cent off.”

Some were looking to return some unwanted items.

“Going to return some stuff from Christmas and find better stuff,” another shopper said.

Mohr added that another factor affecting whether people shop in-person is the level of respiratory illnesses in the community.

“People will be returning to the stores this year in some degree, but with the rise in flu this year and other illnesses, that might also suppress out return to the stores,” Mohr said.