Boxing Day sees the kiwis enjoy the sales and the sun

In a world of confinement and social distancing, Boxing Day in New Zealand offered a bit of normalcy with shoppers gobbling up sales and fans basking in the sun at cricket.

In Auckland, hundreds of bargain hunters were even seen lining up outside shopping malls before opening hours.

At Sylvia Park Mall in Mt Wellington, some were even there before the first stores opened at 7 a.m., said the center’s manager, Helen Ronald.

Shortly after the entire mall opened at 8 a.m., it was packed to the rafters, and Ronald said it didn’t stop all day.

“It has been busier than expected and definitely busier than last year,” he said.

It’s a welcome trend for retailers that has kicked in since the Black Friday sales in late November.

After a difficult year due to the Covid-19 crashes, shoppers were really embracing the “local support” message, Ronald said.

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

Spending through Paymark on Boxing Day last year totaled $ 149 million and final figures for the 2020 Christmas and Boxing Day period will be released on Monday.

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

“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.”

Retail NZ CEO Greg Harford said they also expected to see a big increase in online shopping this year.

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. “

Outdoors, the weather was mixed, with unusually cold temperatures on the South Island and even thunderstorms in the northern parts, while the middle and upper North Island enjoyed mostly glorious sunshine.

In particular, those in Tauranga who saw the Black Caps cricket team take on Pakistan at Bay Oval in their first test match were able to enjoy a day of blue skies and temperatures of around 20 degrees.

On Sunday, there will be scattered showers or showers developing for the majority on the North Island, with cold southerly winds in the south and east.

On the South Island from Canterbury to Marlborough you can expect rain and cold southerly winds, with partly cloudy or good conditions for the rest.

The coming week looked a bit cooler than desired for this time of year, thanks to a series of weak fronts that will also bring outbreaks of rain or showers at times across much of the country.