A frigid Manitoba morning couldn't cool the red hot hunt for Boxing Day deals.

Droves of shoppers lined up at the  best buy on st. James street for must have items they didn't find under the tree.

"I was actually here about 11:00 p.m. last night," said Denis Desjarlias.

"I’ve been here since about 2:30 a.m."said David Miller

"Me and my sisters have been here since 5:00 a.m." said Charles Schellenberg

Many shoppers sought deals on electronics, from TVs to laptops. Desjarlias hoped to get his hands on a surround sound system. “Maybe some speakers to go with it, maybe something else, if the price is right," he said.

The key for shoppers was to stay warm and save as much as possible.

"I've got five children. Money's tight, so we've got to get out here and get these savings," Jonathon Traverse.

Traverse’s strategy was to bundle up in the - 25 C temperatures, wrapping himself in a blanket as he waited in line.

"We're out here for three hours, four hours, so we've got to keep warm.

Charles Schellenberg, who wore shorts while waiting in line, didn’t feel the same need to guard himself against the cold.

"I always wear shorts. I only wear pants if I have to," he said.

When the doors opened at 5:00 a.m., the rush was on to grab the most savings.

This year, the deals up north could rival the U.S.

"I think cross-border shopping, there's probably less of that, with our dollar being so weak. So we definitely see the crowds coming out," said Jody Senan, general manager of the Best Buy on St. James Street.

Across the street at Polo Park, a similar story. Lineups grew outside Michael Kors, and an annual favourite, Lululemon.

"(The lineups are) not bad really, I mean, it's probably a 15 minute wait, so really not that bad," said Rosana Leung

For many, it's not just about the dollars saved.

"It's just more fun. It's not always any better of a sale or anything, but we come for the fun of it," said Chantal Boissonneault

If you couldn't make it out to the malls today, many retailers are hosting week-long Boxing Day sales both in store and online.

Many retailers started their sales earlier this year. Best Buy and Amazon.ca both started up their e-commerce sites on Christmas Eve this year. Others, like the Gap Canada chain of retailers, offered early access to online sales to their email subscribers.

- With a report by Katherine Dow, files from The Canadian Press