Black Friday sales likely to equal Boxing Day
Lambton Quay was lively yesterday as shoppers tried to make the most of a Black Friday bargain.
The day of discounts and enticing deals from retailers came hot on the heels of Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr’s plea for New Zealanders to cut down on spending and ‘‘cool the jets’’.
But Black Friday in Wellington didn’t look very cool – the sun was shining and the wallets were out.
Retail NZ chief executive Greg Harford said they expected spending across Aotearoa to top $260 million.
He walked through Wellington’s shopping precinct and thought the bustle was ‘‘partly the sales, partly the weather’’.
Black Friday, which was unheard of in New Zealand a decade ago, had shot to prominence as a ‘‘really critical day in the Kiwi shopping calendar’’, Harford said.
He attributed that to online shopping, with Kiwis spending on the ‘‘great sales’’ by US and international retailers. Local businesses decided they needed to compete.
The spending on Black Friday this year was predicted to be on a similar level to the Boxing Day sales, the more traditional day for bargain hunters.
‘‘In terms of sales, it now rivals Boxing Day in terms of significance,’’ Harford said. ‘‘More and more businesses are putting on sales.’’
The support would be appreciated by New Zealand businesses. ‘‘Retailers were badly hit by Covid so it’s great to see people out and supporting. We hope people continue that in the lead-up to Christmas.’’