Canadians flock to malls and e-commerce sites for Boxing Day deals

TORONTO – Many Canadians will be flocking to the country's shopping malls and e-commerce sites to snatch up Saturday's Boxing Day savings.

And while some have said that Boxing Day is losing steam in favour of Black Friday, a representative from Best Buy says December 26 is still their biggest shopping day of the year.

Elliott Chun says Best Buy's Boxing Day deals are typically a little better than those on Black Friday, although the November shopping event is a popular day to pick up Christmas gifts.

He says that on both days, the country is moving toward shopping online, favouring websites and mobile apps over bricks-and-mortar stores.

And the sales are also starting earlier this year — Best Buy and Amazon.ca both started up their e-commerce sites on Christmas Eve this year. Others, like the Gap Canada chain of retailers, offered early access to online sales to their email subscribers.

But for traditionalists who prefer to shop in-person, some Canadian malls and stores will be offering extended hours.

Most East Coast stores keep their doors closed on Boxing Day, so Atlantic shoppers will have to go online or wait until Sunday to get in on the action.