Boxing Day sales were "steady" in Whangārei this year with shopper numbers picking up as the morning wore on. Photo / S Curtis
Boxing Day sales were "steady" in Whangārei this year with shopper numbers picking up as the morning wore on. Photo / S Curtis
A Northland retail expert’s “gut feeling” that shoppers in this region would be sure to check out Boxing Day bargains but not necessarily spend a lot of money, seems to have been proven right – at least in Whangārei.
Shoppers turned out in good numbers, car parks were full, and the occasional torrential downpour of rain didn’t put people off.
Plenty of people passed through shop doors but it was hard to spot anyone coming out again with numerous shopping bags or pushing trolleys crammed full.
National retail watchdogs PriceMe were predicting a Boxing Day frenzy – bigger than Black Friday – but Whangārei retailers reported a “steady” trade throughout the day rather than a bonanza.
Ine Sombie, a visitor from Auckland who was looking after her grandson while his parents shopped, says she loves Boxing Day shopping and goes every year. Photo / S Curtis
He said it was impossible to forecast whether the annual sale opportunity – usually the country’s biggest – would have much of a positive impact on the struggling retail scene.
As the cost of living crisis continued to bite and with another financially grim-looking 12 months’ ahead, shoppers might keep their purse strings tight.
In his view, it would be a “wait and see” situation.
From left: Dwana Hunt, Waiarani Hunia, and Aio Hunt-Hakaria (right) like hitting the Boxing Day sales with vouchers they received as Christmas gifts. Photo / S Curtis
On Thursday Hunting and Fishing, Okara Park, store owner Suzy Watkins said she was “pretty happy” with the day’s results.
While sales weren’t up on previous years they weren’t grim either.
Lesina Edwards, the manager of Bed, Bath, and Beyond Whangārei, in the Tarewa Mega Centre, said the store hadn’t been “busy-busy” but there had been shoppers on the premises all day.
Watkins and Edwards agreed a lot of shoppers appeared to have been waiting to buy certain items on sale but there were still impulse buyers too.
By 10am on Boxing Day, the crew at Okara Park's mini doughnut shop had already sold twice as many doughnuts as normal. Photo/ S Curtis
Food vendors seemed to be the day’s winners.
While many people were “just looking” at the sales, most were out long enough to need to buy a bite to eat.
For instance, by 10am, Okara Park’s mini doughnuts vendors Mark Smith, Crystal and Connor Selwyn said they had already doubled their normal sales.
Smith was hoping to sell 7000 doughnuts by the end of the day.
Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, much of which she spent court reporting. She is passionate about covering stories that make a difference
