Yellowknife (June 25/03) - Yellowknife retailers expected to be busy during the annual Raven Mad Daze sale last Friday. And the shoppers went mad.

Bootlegger's Vanessa Gregg reports "crazy busy" sales during Raven Mad Daze last Friday - Norm Poole/NNSL photo

But for some, it was pedal to the metal.

"We were just crazy busy," said Bootlegger manager, Vanessa Gregg, of the stores first experience with Yellowknife's annual spring madness.

The chain opened in the Centre Square Mall last summer.

"It started in the morning and just kept getting busier," said Gregg.

Bootlegger had nine staffers on for the extended day, three more than an average Friday.

At times, they could hardly move for customers.

"We had people 20-deep at the till, 20-deep at the changing rooms. I've never seen anything like it."

Gregg kept the store open until midnight -- Centre Square stores had the option of closing earlier -- and is glad she did.

"Some of the stores closed at 10 o'clock and we saw some of the benefit of that," she said.

"People who weren't finished shopping just headed over to us."

That helped the store overshoot its sales projections for the day by 186 per cent.

Selected items were offered at up to 50 per cent off, but Gregg said the event itself seemed as big a draw as the prices.

"We sold a lot of clothing that wasn't on sale."

Bottom line?

"Outstanding. Best day we've had since we opened the store," said Gregg.

"We sold $8,000 more merchandise than we did on Boxing Day."

At Bata/Athletes world, manager Val Raque said the store sold 25 per cent of its inventory through a week of 20-50 per cent-off Raven Days sales.

"We had literally hundreds of people through the store on Friday," said Raque.

"Yes, easily it was better than Boxing Day. At times it was difficult just keeping up."