Boxing Day boomer
The madness of Boxing Day sales clutched Manawatu¯ yet again.
Central Palmerston North was packed with people who were brave enough to face the hordes looking for bargains in the many annual sales.
The Plaza shopping centre and its car park were chockablock, as shoppers took advantage of deals.
Many of the city’s large retail stores like The Warehouse, Rebel Sport, Briscoes, Farmers and Harvey Norman were busy too.
Chris and Natasha Stewart from Palmerston North had brought their children, 8-year-old Charlie and 5-year-old Ava, to The Plaza because the kids had money burning a hole in their pocket.
‘‘The kids got gift cards for Christmas,’’ Chris Stewart said. ‘‘They tried to get some deals.
‘‘The kids are eager to spend,’’ he said.
The two children used their gift cards to buy books, board games and toys.
Palmerston North’s John Jeffrey braved the crowds to buy a book and a rice cooker.
‘‘It’s just an opportunity to get something cheaper you probably would have got anyway.
‘‘You’ve got to keep away from buying things you don’t really need just because it’s cheaper, which I think people might be doing,’’ Jeffrey said.
It was a busy day for Farmers Palmerston North store manager Kevin Crawford.
‘‘It’s been [busy] right from the beginning. We opened at 8am and right from then it’s been building up. A huge day.’’
He said the store was on track to emulate last year’s sales figures.
‘‘Because Christmas Eve was very big, bigger than what we anticipated, it’s carried on to Boxing Day.’’
Massey University retail expert John Murray said the Boxing Day sales were a fixed day in the retail calendar.
‘‘It’s one of the big days of the year and it comes with certain expectations, the level of discounting that will be on offer on Boxing Day,’’ he said.
‘‘Consumers will be out in force to see what discounts are available.’’
He said retailers also expected people coming through the doors looking to buy.
‘‘Consumers just want a good deal and will have their eyes on certain products.
‘‘Retailers simply need to move product on, so they will have new products on the floor in January. It suits them as well to discount.’’
Murray said there were shoppers who believed the thrill of the hunt for a bargain was all part of the occasion.
Heavily discounted items like a furniture suite were popular for consumers wanting a cheap one and for retailers wanting to replace the old stock.
Noted United States shopping days Black Friday and Cyber Monday had entered the New Zealand climate and Murray said it had extended the trading period.
Paymark figures are expected to be released today, but spending on the electronic network for the first 23 days of December was up only 1 per cent from last year.
Due to Black Friday, there was a peak in November followed by a flat period at the start of December and a strong pick-up towards the end of the Christmas period.
Spending in Palmerston North for December 22 and 23 was $12,808,451, up 8.6 per cent from last year.
Heavy traffic congestion warnings were in force as Aucklanders hit the malls to snap up a bargain in the post-christmas sales.
Shoppers were waiting for doors to open at 7.30am at Sylvia Park, with extended hours offered to those determined to snag a Boxing Day bargain.
The NZ Transport Agency warned of long lines at the Mt Wellington Highway ramp leading to the shopping centre.
Jo Allen, marketing manager at Sylvia Park, said numbers could outstrip last year’s Boxing Day figures.
‘‘We have expected the centre to be busy, with more than 90,000 visitors on Boxing Day in 2017,’’ Allen said. ‘‘We project more visitors this year, judging by foot traffic numbers recorded as of 10am.’’
Allen said the mall opened its doors early, with some major retailers and cafes offering extended hours.
‘‘We have a traffic management team in place, have recently opened 600 new car parks, have extended our hours until 9pm to accommodate the extra visitors, and also have valet parking available until 9pm,’’ she said.
‘‘Shoppers driving into the centre today can look at the Sylvia Park website to see real-time parking information and make the best decision where to park before they arrive, as well as take advantage of the new car park and valet parking offers to make their day as stress-free as possible.’’
Allen said there had been steady growth throughout the Christmas rush. However, Boxing Day was always the busiest day of the year.
‘‘We are excited to see how the day pans out.’’
After uncertainty over the impact of Black Friday on retail spending, Kiwis hit the stores in a final pre-christmas rush.
In the last weekend before Christmas, New Zealand shoppers spent $429 million, racking up a new record of 182 transactions a second, according to Paymark.
It was expected that December spending would hit $5 billion by the end of the month.