With one more sleep until Christmas those planning a little last-minute shopping will need to get in quick on what is predicted to be the busiest day of the year.
Meanwhile the weather forecast is starting to come into focus, with MetService predicting a "mixed bag" of sunshine and showers across the country.
Last Friday was the biggest shopping day of the year, reaching $297.5 million through 5.1 million transactions, surpassing Easter Thursday ($263m) and Black Friday ($253m).
But Paymark spokesman Paul Brislen anticipated Christmas Eve to be even bigger.
"We expect to see Christmas Eve beat this as well, so you're looking at sort of a $300 million, at least, Christmas Eve looking at these figures."
A cooler than average Xmas forecast for many regions in the east with cloud & scattered showers forecast. Central regions of the North Island, though warmer, can also expect to see some showers with localised thunderstorms & downpours possible. More at https://t.co/hnwmGxU1gR ^AC pic.twitter.com/o35gl4Fi8D
Brislen said it can be a little hard to judge when Christmas Eve falls so close to the weekend – as it did last year, which resulted in Christmas Eve not being the busiest shopping day – but this year there was an extra day buffer.
Christmas Eve looks set to be the biggest shopping day of the year. Photo / 123RF
There had been a change in traditional shopping patterns in December due to the introduction of Black Friday sales.
"Traditionally during December week by week the sales would ramp up slowly till you got to the craziness of Christmas Eve which is the busiest shopping day of the year.
"[With Black Friday] we see a sudden spike at the end of November/beginning of December with the Black Friday weekend and then a quieter period for the first couple weeks of December and then back into it again as we get towards Christmas Eve.
"[Black Friday] is becoming a very big part of the spending pattern for Christmas."
Meanwhile, the all-important details for the Christmas and Boxing Day forecasts are now coming into focus.
According to MetService the lead-up to the big day is looking settled with only Gisborne and Hawkes Bay set to see a rainy Christmas Eve, with heavy rain overnight about Wairoa.
Elsewhere, clear skies will dominate, with just the southeast of the South Island and central regions of the North Island looking to see isolated showers and cloud.
The 25th brings a "mixed bag" of weather to Aotearoa with parts of the North Island and lower South Island set to see scattered showers, but plenty of dry weather expected elsewhere.
The Palu family gets in some last-minute Christmas shopping at Sylvia Park. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Auckland is forecast to see sunny spells with only a chance of seeing a shower, keeping them on track to hit 23C making them the warmest of the main centres.
Wellington will be quite a bit behind with a forecast high of 18C, though southerlies should be light and skies clear.
Those celebrating in Taupō, Waikato, Waitomo and Taumarunui who plan on heading out in the afternoon to work off that Christmas lunch should be aware heavy showers are forecast with thunderstorms and downpours possible in localised areas.
Cloud and cooler than average temperatures are forecast over the east of the South Island could also mean donning those togs and heading into the water may be a less attractive prospect for those who are faint of heart.
Boxing Day is looking to be similar to Christmas with showers continuing over the central North Island, while the east of the South Island looks to finally break free of the cloud as the day progresses, even if isolated showers are likely to persist.
It's been a deadly start to Christmas week on the roads with three people killed and several others injured on Monday.
Two people died and one person was seriously injured after a crash on State Highway 5 in Rangitaiki near Taupō just before 1.30pm.
During the morning another person was killed in a two-car crash on SH25A, on the Coromandel Peninsula.
To December 22, 342 people had lost their lives on New Zealand roads, below the 369 who died in the same period last year.
The official holiday road toll begins today at 4pm.
