Despite crowds of eager shoppers flooding stores on Boxing Day, the total amount spent was down on last year, Paymark figures show.
On Monday shopping hubs were packed as residents combed stores, eager to find the best Boxing Day deals.
Retailers told Hawke's Bay Today while the lead-up to Christmas had been quieter than in previous years, on Boxing Day their businesses had been booming.
However, Paymark, which processes 75 per cent of electronic transactions, released figures yesterday which showed that although transactions on Monday reached $4 million, this was a decrease of half a per cent from the previous year.
Last year, shoppers spent $4.1m.