The grey zone turned sunny with happy shoppers when Toronto’s stores finally opened for business after being shut down since last Nov. 22 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although many shops were set to open at 10 a.m. Monday, people were already lined up 90 minutes early in the hopes of being the first ones in for a crack at all the sale merchandise, especially deeply-discounted goods left over from the Christmas season.
I was one of those shoppers, having been unable to visit some of my favourite haunts, including the ubiquitous Winners, HomeSense, and Marshalls stores in the Stockyards district of Toronto.
I write about shopping, am a big fan of retail therapy, and I arrived around 9 a.m., hoping to be the first in line.
Instead, I found excited patrons perfectly socially-distanced and masked, patiently waiting to enter doors that had been shuttered for more than 100 days.
One would think it was the holiday season all over again with shoppers chatting with one another from a safe distance, while store officials visited the lineups over and over again to thank everyone for their patience — and for coming out to shop. Even the sun broke through the clouds, right on cue.
“It’s a great way to celebrate International Women’s Day!” laughed one woman, while her friend said “I am so thankful for this opportunity. I know everything was closed for the good of all, but I really needed this break.”
Lineups were long, but wait times were surprisingly not, as staff counted shoppers to ensure restrictive in-store capacity limits were obeyed.
Once inside, customers were greeted like beloved guests, spritzed with hand sanitizer, politely asked to keep their distances and told to have a good time. And we did!
The shopping was amazing with most everything deeply discounted. At HomeSense, I found one of the most generous selections of holiday items marked to sell fast: A large snow globe, attached to long base, beautifully detailed and regularly priced $60 was on sale for $5.
I found blankets marked down to $5, a Trivial Pursuit Big Bang Theory edition, marked down to $20 and gorgeous, delicate ornaments only $2 each. At the Winners next door, I found even more bargains — a sweater, regularly $50 on sale for $9, beautiful gloves, regularly $30 on sale for $5, and A Juicy Couture bag for only $20.
There was also a lovely down-filled winter coat, regularly $300 on sale for $50.
Marshalls had a beautiful, designer headband, regularly priced at $69 on sale for … $3. I stocked up on board games as the average price was around $7, and some cooking essentials, not to mention spices (all fresh) with savings 50% off the usual retail cost. There were cat and dog beds, and pet bowls and toys, linens, lamps, small furnishings, coffee makers — the list was endless.
And the prices were not to be believed. All three stores carried a substantial selection of goods, and I was told more was coming from warehouses brimming with stuff that needed to be sold.
Throughout the shopping experience, staff at all stores was friendly, courteous and genuinely happy to see shoppers arriving.
Moving stores out of total lockdown and into the grey zone was the shot in the arm the business community needed — people were eager to get some retail therapy, while companies were gladly accommodating everyone safely.
Let’s hope we don’t have to wait too long for the rest of the companies — from eat-in restaurants to hair salons to gyms and the rest — to follow in the same direction.
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2021
