Last minute dash - or wait for Boxing Day bargains?

Last-minute Christmas shoppers dash through Sylvia Park Shopping Centre. Photo / Nick Reed

The mad rush for last-minute gifts and food for Christmas Day is on as thousands flock to malls and supermarkets around the country.

Christmas Eve is the busiest time of the year for transactions at the till. Data from Eftpos supplier Paymark estimates this year will exceed the $272.6 million the nation spent last year.

In 2014 $263.5m in sales were recorded at the 75 per cent of terminals around New Zealand Paymark that provides.

The dash for last-minute gifts, wrapping paper and food and drink for tomorrow's celebrations has traffic and parking around New Zealand's shopping precincts at their busiest.

And even more shopping craziness was expected on Monday for the annual Boxing Day sales.

Paymark CEO Mark Rushworth says Christmas Eve was always the biggest day of the year but Boxing Day also gave the retailers an extra boost.

With stores closed tomorrow the pre-Christmas banners will be torn down and bargain hunters will be lured from their Christmas Day slumber by knock-out bargains, Boxing Day bonanzas and rock-bottom prices.

Research from point of sale software company Vend shows Boxing Day is the second most discounted day of the year - second only to January 29.

Like many big stores at Noel Leeming Boxing Day lasts five days and kicks off today.

Extra staff have been rostered and the chain also offer an online "click and collect" for those who want to avoid the queues.

Other stores tease at what will be on offer and entice shoppers to sign up to email alerts to get news of the bargains first.

Briscoes' Boxing Day sale is offering 30 to 60 per cent of everything in store and Rebel Sport is offering 30 per cent deductions of everything store wide.

Queen St's Smith & Caughey's is also set to do a roaring trade, with up to 50 per cent off a wide selection of goods.

JB Hi-Fi is offering PS4 gaming consoles for $369, compared to the normal price of $469, and Farmers has half-price deals on small appliances and kids' clothing.

And Christmas is set to come twice for children this festive season, with The Warehouse running a huge toy sale, with up to 70 per cent off some of its brands.

For those needing wanting to give TLC to their cars, Repco has a stocktake sale with up to 70 per cent off stock.

Those put off by carpark battles and the bright lights of shopping malls can shop from home - or even the beach - with online deals.

GrabOne is offering party game Cards Against Humanity for the lowest advertised price of $25, Disney Frozen packs for 60 per cent off and some cosmetic brands for up to 75 per cent off.

As shoppers prepare to go into a spending frenzy, Consumer NZ boss Sue Chetwin said it was important they remembered their rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act were protected no matter how heavy the discount.

And she warned against "being fooled into" taking out extra warranties for appliances.

"They don't offer any more protection than your normal rights."