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Wall-to-wall shoppers have flocked to stores today hoping to find a bargain this Boxing Day, a welcome sight for retailers after a rough year.
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The crowds are a welcome sight for retailers after a rough year. Source: 1 NEWS
“We actually got what we didn’t want, but we still got it,” said one couple.
Some Auckland shoppers were hoping to receive gifts Santa didn’t deliver, with shoes, socks, pants and shirts on the agenda.
While stores were quieter in downtown Otago, the bargains were just as good, with satisfied shoppers leaving with a variety of items, including a swimming pool, a remote-controlled car, chocolates and candy.
Today’s deals provided a much-needed boost for store owners.
“We open at 8 this morning and we have people waiting for us to open,” said Sylvia Park Center Manager Helen Ronald.
Ronald said it makes up for the time the mall was unable to receive customers.
“It’s been a tough year for retailers because obviously those lockdowns make it really tough,” he said.
Greg Harford from Retail New Zealand said it has been “busy across the country so this is good news for retail.”
Shoppers were out in full force today, but were warned to carefully consider the discounts on offer. PriceSpy found that while nearly half of all products went down on Boxing Day last year, nearly a fifth of all items went up in price.
However, stocks held in ports amid the Covid-19 pandemic remain a problem.
“There is a large amount of product that is still in the water or that has not been able to be unloaded at the ports and that is the product that everyone is waiting for,” said Harford.
Most of the Boxing Day sales are expected to continue for the next several days and into next week.
