Boxing Day 2013 saw eager Airdronians searching for the best local deals this holiday season.
The shoppers’ holiday can help those willing to brave the crowds save big bucks on large ticket items like TV and appliances, as well the must have gadgets.
“We just opened last year,” Colleen Lancaster manager of the London Drugs said.
“There were more people at the door this year.”
While Lancaster wouldn’t disclose the number of people that came thought the doors, she did say the store was fully staffed in anticipation of the large number of shoppers.
“The store was open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., so we probably had between 35 and 40 staff on (for Boxing Day),” she said.
While there were more people this year, she thought that the “shop local” campaign didn’t bring more people to her store.
“I think most of the people went into the city to shop first, because our big rush time was between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m.,” she said.
That was not the case, for the Pharmasave and the Store Upstairs. Wendy Potter, general manager of both stores, said she thought more people were shopping local.
“I’ve heard (through word of mouth) that more people were trying to shop local this year,” Potter said.
She added she saw more people through the doors this year and the 2013 Christmas season was a good one for her businesses in the heart of the downtown. “We had a great year (this year),” she said.
Think Airdrie – a shop local initiative put on in part by the Airdrie Chamber of Commerce – has tried to spread the message of shopping local.
The program outlines ways for residents and businesses to promote options in Airdrie before going into the city of Calgary.
The program was initiated in December of 2010.
For more information on Think Airdrie visit, www.thinkairdrie.ca
