Boxing Day sales: shoppers fill malls, ‘thankful to be in New Zealand’

Kiwifruit buyers are filling malls and absorbing annual Boxing Day sales as most of the world grapples with Covid-19-induced restrictions.

In Auckland’s Sylvia Park, shoppers were queuing even before the first stores opened at 7am.

Bargain hunters were also seen lining the street in front of Dress Smart in Onehunga ahead of its 9 a.m. opening.

In Sylvia Park it was buzzing at 8am when all the stores were open. At noon, the center manager, Helen Ronald, said it was “probably busier even than last year.”

It is a trend that has only increased in recent weeks. After a difficult year for retailers due to Covid-19 crashes, shoppers were really embracing the “local support” message.

On Christmas Eve there was a record level of transactions, and everything indicated that Boxing Day would be even more lucrative.

Ronald said it was difficult to pin down exactly what was attracting shoppers today, as every store had great deals.

“I’ve seen a lot of fashion, household goods and sportswear, they’ve all been very busy.

“There are some really good bargains. The farmers, as always, make a big sale, but everyone has great deals today, it’s pretty even for everyone.

“I think after the year that people have had, they are hanging out, they have a relaxing shop, they enjoy the bargains and we are seeing a lot of families here. That is something that we have seen over Christmas, and it is very nice to see.

“It’s really like a normal Boxing Day, one of those days where you are so thankful to be in New Zealand.”

At sales across the country, consumers can expect a 10 to 70 percent discount off the retail price, but usually only on certain items.

At West Auckland’s Nest, which recently went into bankruptcy, customers will find a 50 percent discount on all stock in the store.

Retail NZ CEO Greg Harford said it was too early for the data to show how busy Boxing Day had been, but he was hearing positive things.

“As an anecdote, I heard things are pretty stable. Only in Wellington have I seen shoppers everywhere. December spending has been relatively strong since Black Friday, and we expect Boxing Day to be another big one.”

Harford expected a large increase in people choosing local stores and brands as a result of campaigns to support local retailers during the difficult year.

Also, since many kiwis were unable to travel, they spent more in stores, he said.

Another developing trend was online shopping.

Some major New Zealand retailers, such as Noel Leeming and the Warehouse, started their online St. Stephen’s sales on Christmas Eve, while most of the others started on Christmas Day.

“I think we can expect to see a big increase in online spending this year. Some sales started on Christmas Eve and a lot more yesterday, so I think a lot more people will jump into that space online as it means you can do it from at home or even on the beach. “

Between midnight and 2 p.m. on Christmas Eve, kiwi consumers spent more than $ 166 million.

The busiest hour of the day at 12.30pm saw a peak of 204 transactions per second, a new record, beating the previous record of 188 transactions per second (the daily average is usually around 60 transactions per second).

Paymark recorded about three million transactions processed between midnight and 2 p.m. on Christmas Eve.

Spokesman Paul Brislen said spending data would not be updated until Monday.

Spending through Paymark on Boxing Day last year totaled $ 149 million.