Boxing on after Christmas spending spree

And I thought Christmas was the stressful part.

Turns out the big day has nothing on the days following it.

The crowds and queues may be good news for retailers - spending was up 3 per cent in the Bay this Boxing Day - but for someone who just needs to pop into Farmers to get some moisturiser on the way to work it's very, very bad news.

Mind you, it's hard to complain about a bit of personal space invasion and queue-standing when you compare our situation in stores this week to how crazy other parts of the world got on Boxing Day. Apparently Nike's new Air Jordan sneakers going on sale was enough to cause so much of a fuss that police needed to pepper-spray 20 people in Seattle.

The offenders had been waiting in a line that was 1000 people long when the fight broke out.

They would have to be some pretty special shoes to get me to even consider tagging on to the end of that line, let alone being pepper sprayed for.

I've just finished looking at a photo gallery of Boxing Day sales around the world.

The photos are of people running through the doors of Selfridges at 6am.

Apparently the Next store in Leeds had people queuing by 1.30am on Boxing Day.

Can't have been that great of a Christmas Day if they were able to set the alarm for that time.

Still none of it compares to a man being stabbed to death for apparently queue-jumping at the Foot Locker store on one of London's busiest shopping streets.

Given I have left the Christmas shopping for some family members until this week (it's okay they won't know, because I won't see them until next week) I'll be back looking for the sales again today.

Having heard about these crazy cases of consumerism going over the top thought I'll be a little wiser on how lucky we are.

Take it easy out there, there's lot worse that could happen than having to find a car park or wait in a queue.

Guestview Kate Newton Bay of Plenty Times