My 11-year-old daughter … needs to spend her Christmas money on Boxing Day, she said. I think everyone s aware and social distance and stuff, so I don t think it s too much of a problem, Simon King, another shopper in the line, said.
Other malls, like Market Mall and Chinook Centre, had announcements over the loudspeakers cautioning shoppers when the malls were nearing capacity.
It was a similar situation in Edmonton. Vehicle traffic in the area of South Edmonton Common was heavy and some stores had line-ups early in the morning. Best Buy manager Keith Knorr said not everyone changed their habits.
Jane Holowchuk, part owner of Ponytails + Horseshoes, said she understands why they need to shut business down. I think that it s good for us to be shut down because I think our numbers are so high and everything is spreading so quickly, she said.
She said she wished the restrictions had been imposed earlier so that they could have been open for the Christmas season, which is their busiest time.
Clients of Ponytails + Horseshoes have also purchased gift cards for next year to help the business out, Holowchuk says.
Although Holowchuk is OK with shutting down her business, Katona said she does not agree.