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Retailers are bracing themselves for a glut of last-minute shoppers kept away by bad weather during the past two months.
Sales of summer items - such as clothing and outdoor furniture - have been slow but shopkeepers expect tills to ring in December, traditionally their busiest month.
Rod Duke, managing director of the Briscoes Group of Briscoes Homewares, Rebel Sport, Urban Loft and Living & Giving stores, predicted "bedlam" in stores.
"Sometimes people leave it late and sometimes people have a tendency to shop early," said Mr Duke.
"It looks like this year might be a late-ish year."
Andrew Caughey, of Auckland department store Smith & Caughey's, said costume jewellery was this year's standout success.
The store had stocked up in the popular Christmas areas of cosmetics, homewares and fine foods and held a one-day, 25 per cent off most items sale yesterday, especially for the Christmas period.
Mr Caughey said clothing sales were slow in October and November but the year overall had not been too bad.
New Zealand Retailers Association chief executive John Albertson said the lead-up to Christmas was critical for retailers.
"December is an important month for the industry because it's when a lot of the action happens."
He said competition remained fierce between retailers.
In the release of September quarter retail sales figures, Statistics New Zealand noted figures showed signs of easing over the past year.
Mr Albertson said higher petrol prices, interest rates and a reduced appetite for borrowing were behind the figures.
Overall, store owners were happy despite growth being lower in the year to date than the past couple of years.
"The year has been pretty patchy, there's been no consistency to growth," he said.
"It's almost a case of looking at it week by week - this week was good, this week was bad."
