It was –29 C with a wind chill making it feel like –39 C, but that didn't stop hundreds of Winnipeggers from lining up to score sweet Boxing Day savings.

When the doors opened at 6 a.m. Tuesday morning at Best Buy on St. James Street, the lineup stretched from the front doors and out past the end of the building. Many of those people left clutching big screen TVs.

Across the street at CF Polo Park Shopping Centre, dozens lined up at H&M for their 7 a.m. opening, in hopes of scoring a free $300 gift card for one lucky shopper.

Ruel Ruelos

Ruel Ruelos flew in from Nunavut but didn't find the Apple Store deal he had hoped to find. (CBC)

Ruel Ruelos flew to Winnipeg from Rankin Inlet, Nunavut for Boxing Day.

He told CBC he was disappointed in the sale at Polo Park's Apple Store, and didn't see the deals he had hoped to find.

"We'd like to buy some Macbook for my daughter, because we promised her this year to buy it for her," said Ruelos. "We waited for this for a long time, for Boxing Day."

However, staff at the Apple Store said there was no sale at the store Tuesday, and that all sale prices are online only.

"I feel bad. I'm expecting that I will get a good price, and now I feel disappointed … but we'll get over it."

Ruelos said he was hoping for a substantial discount on the laptop, at least 50 per cent off, adding he wanted to buy the laptop for his daughter who is starting university next fall. 

With files from Austin Grabish