Jump in Boxing Day sales
Marlborough topped the country with the highest jump in eftpos transactions on Boxing Day, with more shoppers paying with cards rather than cash.
There were 40,000 eftpos transactions on Boxing Day in Marlborough, which represented a 12.9 per cent increase on last year.
Macpac manager Brendon Gee said Boxing Day was a ‘‘decent day’’ but probably not busier than last year, with customers shopping with cards rather than cash.
‘‘Last year I feel like it was more cash sales, while this year was more eftpos transactions,’’ he said.
A total of $2.3 million was spent in Marlborough stores on December 26, representing a 13.3 per cent increase from Boxing Day last year.
This was also the biggest jump in the country, with the increase in sales 3.9 per cent across the country, and increase in transactions 2.4 per cent.
Paymark spokesperson Paul Brislen said the increase was highest in the regional areas, because lower overall sales made changes more dramatic.
‘‘It’s always easier to move the dial significantly in the smaller areas because there are so few transactions, so you get a couple of big ones and it really does move things quite dramatically,’’ he said.
‘‘It doesn’t take too much to move $2.3 million.’’
‘‘But that’s not to run the numbers down, a 13 per cent increase does suggest that people are getting out and shopping.’’
He said factors such as the ‘‘glorious’’ weather would have impacted sales performance in Marlborough. One-off events, such as the arrival of a cruise ship on Boxing Day, could also cause a lift in a region’s spending.
The emergence of Black Friday sales, in addition to Boxing Day, was also giving retailers ‘‘two bites of the cherry’’, Brislen said.
‘‘We’re starting to see a real change in Kiwi retail behaviour,’’ he said.
‘‘This year and last year we saw the real emergence of Black Friday as a retail event.’’