Boxing Day takes place the day after Christmas on December 26th each year. It’s usually marked by a day or up to a week full of sales and discounts.
Boxing Day is similar to Black Friday. The former, though, begins after Christmas and the latter starts before.
Boxing Day isn’t a statutory holiday in British Columbia. It is, however, one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Some businesses take the day off, although not most retailers, for it’s one of the busiest days of the year for them. Stores and malls across Metro Vancouver and the Lower Mainland offer special discounts and shopping incentives.
While Boxing Day occurs every year on December 26th – the day after Christmas – the deals usually run for up to a week before the actual date as well as for the week thereafter.
In 2024 Boxing Day takes place on the fourth Thursday in December.
Shopping Deals in 2024
As of mid-December, we aren’t sure what all the best Boxing Day deals are going to be in 2024. Below are some special deals we’re aware of, as well as which places offered good ones last year.
- WildPlay Element Park – the outdoor recreation park closed for the season on December 15th, 2024, and starts back up again in February. There’s a holiday sale for gift card purchases for a limited time. If you buy a $100 gift card then you get a $25 bonus. Also, annual passes are $25 off.
- Pier 7 Restaurant – as of the last time we checked, the popular waterfront restaurant in North Vancouver was offering a $20 bonus when you buy a $100 gift card, and a $10 when you buy a $75 gift card.
- Vancouver Wine Festival – the high-end wine festival is selling advance tickets for some of its Tasting Room events. You can save around $10 to $30 on certain events for a limited time.
- Shen Yun – the New York-based Chinese performing arts company is in Vancouver in April 2025. As of mid-December 2024, for a limited time, if you use the promo code Holiday25 you’ll save $10.50 in online fees when booking your ticket.
- Zero Latency – the VR games company is offering a 15% discount on all games played between December 23rd, 2024, and January 5th, 2025, if you use the code VR15 at checkout.
- Forbidden Vancouver – the walking tour company offered gift certificates at 15% off last year. These make terrific presents for people around the holidays.
- Vancouver Mysteries – the outdoor adventure company offered a 15% discount on gift cards in 2023. To get the deal, buyers could use the promo code HOLIDAY15 when making their purchase online. 2024 details are to be confirmed.
- Maan Farms – the family-friendly farm with lots of kids’ activities in Abbotsford has a sale on annual passes until January 5th. They’ll cost just $39 instead of $49 up until that date.
For ideas on things to buy over the holiday season for friends and family, see our article about Vancouver Experiential Christmas Gift Ideas.
Shopping Venues
Numerous retailers and shopping centres around Vancouver offer special Boxing Day deals. Below are some of the many locations that usually offer Boxing Day and Boxing Week sales.
- Central City Mall – a mall in the centre of Surrey close to Holland Park.
- Granville Island – while not especially known for its Boxing Day deals, it is one of the Lower Mainland’s best and most interesting places for shopping, and a great place to find locally-owned businesses to shop at.
- Granville Street – a shopping street in downtown Vancouver also known for its nightlife and entertainment.
- Guildford Town Centre – Surrey’s largest shopping mall and one of the larger malls in the Lower Mainland.
- Lonsdale Quay – a small- to medium-sized but unique shopping venue in North Vancouver close to the SeaBus, It’s another exceptional place to find small, local businesses.
- McArthurglen Outlet Mall – a designer outlet mall with a collection of high-end brand-name stores close to the Vancouver airport.
- Metropolis at Metrotown – located in Burnaby, it is Vancouver’s largest mall with over 400 shops and restaurants.
- Pacific Centre – downtown Vancouver’s main shopping mall.
- Park Royal Mall – a large and recently-updated mall located in West Vancouver close to the Lions Gate Bridge.
- Robson Street – one of downtown Vancouver’s best shopping streets.
- Tsawwassen Mills – a large outlet mall in Delta close to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal.
Other Information
To learn more about Boxing Day and its history, see the Wikipedia website.
Other articles that might be of interest include the following:
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