Boxing Day Sales

It's been a tradition for myself and my daughter to go to the sales on the 27th. Now my GD is older she has joined us.

Mostly it's been a good experience, this year included. Nowhere was uncomfortably rammed, we mooched at leisure, topped off by a free hot drink and cake each, curtesy of JL.

Just the three of us being together was joyful.

Perhaps because different people enjoy different things?

When I was younger shops weren’t open on Boxing Day thank God. I had all my family together on Boxing Day, it doesn’t happen often as daughter lives in East Midlands and is a paramedic. Why anyone would want to traipse around the shops is beyond me. There the January sales when young and mum took us up to Oxford Street, C & A to get winter coats, which back then sales goods where good quality not the tat there is today

This message looked so long I wasn't going to read it but am very glad I did. A really lovely story with a lovely ending, thank you for sharing.

Well GN's I only went to a Boxing Day sale once, but there is a special tale with a happy ending to it. So , I had been having such poor sleeping patterns, some was physical , had just had this major problem with my back, and there were a lot of other major things that I was thinking and worrying about, that only I could resolve, and could have a big effect on my life. I was a widow and my son was about 4. I had know this man for some time and we had become very close, but I was very aware that I was totally responsible for my son and his happiness. That he was the top priority for me, way before anything I wanted for myself. He had asked me to marry him, and if it was only me involved I would have said yes. So, it may sound a bit odd, but I said, My son and I would live with him , but not marry. If my son was happy and comfortable with him then we could consider marrying later. He understood my protective feelings for my son, and said that he would wait until I was comfortable and give it time before he asked me again. So we had gone to live him on the outskirts of Manchester. I was doing another degree, I can touchtype, but then I hadnt got a typewriter, so was writing assignments out by hand , and having a lot of pain with my wrists .
I saw in the papers about these boxing day sales in the middle of Manchester . Of course this was all for publicity and this department store had a list of what they were offering, starting with a lovely engagement ring, etc etc, and there were 3 typewriters for , cant remember, but so if they were £100 they were offered at £20. So given the circumstances I said Right, as I am not sleeping I will give it a go. It was snowy and very very cold, so I put my sailing jumper, trousers, a fleece, thick woollen sox and my walking boots and my thick coat with gloves , and a rucksac with a drink in it.. There had been the list of all the things that were offered, and the way it worked was that everyone queued for hours of course. Then at 8am , the manager or whoever came out, started at the front of a queue, with tickets , labelled with whatever the item was. So the front young man was in the paper the following day as he had queued for 48 hours to get the engagement ring for his girlfriend. As the man walked along the line, like Father Christmas, each person said what he wanted and was given the ticket. It was a very fair system. If you had the ticket you had half an hour to go and claim the item. After that it was available for anyone to buy it. So that stopped horrible people dashing past you when you had waited all night etc. So I wasnt very far down the line and he got to me and I said could I please have one of typewriters. He looked down at his list and said "sorry they have all gone" and looked at me to ask for something else. I felt somewhat stunned and miserable and cast about to think what else there was and suddenly remember that there were two suits, made by Cache D'Or, who were quite a posh company and so said I would like the turquoise suit, which was in my size. He gave me the ticket and went on down the line. I stood there , mostly miserable, thinking of all the effort I had done to get the typewriter, and now I had done it all for nothing. I walked along the line to find the people who had bought the typewriters but no one wanted to swap or let me buy it from them. So 9am the doors opened and in we went. My suit was not in the ordinary clothes area but in the rather superior floor, with ladies dressed in black etc. I walked up to the nearest assistant. She looked me up and down and asked if I had come to the correct department!! I said "Oh yes, I would like to see the Cache D'or turquoise woollen suit please. Giving me rather an incredulous look, she went off to get it and brought it to me in a changing room. So I removed my coat etc and took my walking boots off , and I dont think she was used to seeing people wearing sailing thermals under the trousers. She went outside and I tried it on. It fitted beautifully and suited me - I have or had at that time copper coloured hair etc. So I got back into my things and went out and said yes I will take it , paid and walked off. (I'm sure she had a tale to tell at coffee break of the oddest woman she had had in the department. If she hadnt been so snooty I would have explained why I was dressed as I was.) So home I went, in a mixed feeling. The amount of effort I had made was not rewarded by the useful thing that I really needed. The suit was lovely but I had nothing in mind to wear it to, and wouldnt have gone to all that trouble for the suit. So I put it away and life went on. A little while later , my lovely man asked me to marry him again and this time I said yes. I had never worn my bargain, and so I actually got married in the suit, with navy shoes and a little navy velvet fascinator with a feather in it. It was lovely and we had a wonderful day, in an old fashioned way, as my parents came, and we lived round the corner from the methodist church, (where I used to sing and read the lesson and my lovely man used to work with the teenagers group,) so I walked round with my father , and the neighbours came out to wave and wish us health and happiness. All my family sing and I have been a member of quite a lot of choirs, so the singing was wonderful with 4 part harmonies , etc. A very happy day, and I never regretted for one minute marrying my husband. He was a wonderful father to my son, and we had over 40 happy years together. I kept my suit for a very long time and wore it for special days out etc, but then I actually gave it to someone in a womans refuge , who was going for a job interview, and I hope she has enjoyed wearing it since then. So , that is my tale of venturing into the boxing day sales. Have never gone to one again. Think I was so lucky on that occasion, but would never want to do it again (anyway with my back the chances now of standing for hours is non-existent.) Such serendipity , where I had no thoughts or ideas that any of this could lead on from wanting a typewriter. So I know this has taken a while to write about it but it all belongs together , and is for me a very romatic memory.

Years ago, my daughter and I used to go to the Boxing Day sales in Glasgow, followed by lunch. I found some great bargains, especially clothes for work.
Nowadays, I have no inclination I have too many clothes anyway.

As aways went to the sales in Sheffield with my mum on boxing day back in the 70's. It was great, all the department stores had good sales. It's not like that now.

I always used to peruse the online sales on Boxing day, picking up suitable birthday gifts for throughout the year.Now all sales seem to start before Christmas eve, too busy with actual Christmas to look then, and if you venture on after, everything ha been picked over. Mind you, what AM I talking about ? Theres' not been much worth having BEFORE the sales either.

No never i am usually recovering from a busy Christmas Day😂 DD1 goes off early Boxing Day most years and bags some bargains! I do look at John Lewis sale on line …..

Not many department stores left to visit unless travelling quite a bit and paying a fortune for parking. Always remember what my Mum used to say about sales; it's all the stuff hauled out that people didn't want to buy in the first place.

ferry23

Gosh, is this really a family "tradition"?

Given Boxing Day trading wasn't a thing before the mid 1990's when the government relaxed trading laws, I'm surprised anyone had had time to make into a tradition!

No, not for me or my family, I must admit it would never occur to me to go shopping on Boxing Day. But there's plenty of voucher giving in the family.

Before Boxing Day sales there was New Year Sales. Far better than staff having to prepare for sales on Boxing day. I wouldn't go shopping on Boxing Day no matter what goodies I missed out on.

I am so grateful that the shops are closed on Boxing Day here in Germany. Folk are still reeling from the still fairly new Black Friday sales, and excessive Christmas spending. The economy has taken a downturn since covid, too many businesses have suffered and been forced to close down. (Yet the gov manages to sponsor wars in the east, go figure).

MissAdventure

My aunt always asked for money instead of presents, saved up all year, and went to the boxing day sales.

I've no idea if she ever got anything great, but it was one of life's pleasures for her.

that seems a really good way of making use of the Boxing day sales.. it used to be an exciting day many years ago before on-line and constant black fridays.. I can remember the queues in London with some people camping overnight..

I can remember when there were just New Year Sales & they were a big thing. All the big stores would have some large items for a ridiculously low price & people would even camp overnight in
places like Oxford Street to be at the
front of the queue! As previously mentioned the Sales all seem to run into each other now so that excitement has gone! Personally I think ALL shops should remain closed Christmas Day & Boxing Day to give retail staff 2 days off with their families & friends. I used to hate it when I worked in retail & people would come in & moan about only having a week off from the office!
Happy New Year everyone!

My aunt always asked for money instead of presents, saved up all year, and went to the boxing day sales.

I've no idea if she ever got anything great, but it was one of life's pleasures for her.

We used to sometimes go to the Boxing Day sales when they were proper sales. (Never at the crack of dawn, though). We bought a few household things we wanted (and still have). Nowadays “sales” seem to be with us all year long, and so have lost any appeal to me as I suspect many of them are not the bargains they first seem to be (though I know there are some real bargains to be had, but you have to be careful) - just how genuine are they?

I think we probably become somewhat jaded by constant “sales” all year - at least I do. Overkill for me, to be honest.

No don't do Boxing day sales in shops or online. I was pleased to see certain large shops shut boxing day. Although when my husband was going to work yesterday at 6am and went past Next he said the Q of people already there waiting for the doors to open was unbelievable! And they say there's no money about!!
I use to love the January sales I would get on a train up to Oxford Street and spend the day spending all the money I'd saved during the year. Not the same now.

What a lovely memory

Many years we ordered a 3 piece suite from one of the original House of Fraser stores just before Xmas as we were in the process of buying our first house and were getting married in April. We saw the store had a sale starting on boxing Day so we went into buy some things for the house, but to our dismay the suite had been reduced by 50%, the salesman recognised us and called us over, he cancelled the first order and reordered it for us at the discounted price, which we were thrilled with.

A few days later my soon to be brother in law asked my DH what the suite was like and DH described as looking like a farmers jacket, it was a brown and beige flecked material, I wanted to cry, but it turned out to be the comfiest suite we’ve ever had. My late FiL used to love the fact it had wings on the side of the arm chairs as he could fall asleep after his dinner without his head falling forwards 😂

Oops - just realised didn’t mean we went on Boxing Day- always saw extended family on this day, but the following day 27th or 28th depending on weather conditions

I miss the old department stores. I think it is a great loss

Seemed to me a lot of the sales started even before Christmas Day. I know a couple of the gifts I bought for people from White Co and Hobbs were reduced quite a lot before the big day. Very disappointing really.

I haven't been to a Boxing Day sale for years. I don't see the point of them. I spend enough money for Christmas Day, why spend more.

I have only ever done one boxing day shop. That was when my youngest was moving from a cot into a bed. That was 35 years ago. We got what we wanted but never again.

Never, can’t imagine ever wanting to go to a shop of any kind on Boxing Day and I think most retail staff should get the day off after the long hours worked leading up to Christmas.