KEY POINTS:
Christmas pud will be just a memory today as New Zealanders wake up to embrace the Boxing Day sales.
The post-Christmas sales are fast becoming the biggest trading days for many retailers.
Retailers are expecting a rush of shoppers wanting to cash in on bargains, with the traditional sales now extending to four days or more, said Newmarket Business Association general manager Cameron Brewer.
They come after a bumper pre-Christmas period.
Electronic payment provider Paymark, which accounts for around 80 per cent of all electronic transactions and more than 60 per cent of total retail sales, reported a record-breaking lead-up to Christmas.
Momentum built through the week, with shoppers getting the most out of the last few days.
Volumes peaked on Friday with more than 3.2 million electronic transactions worth $197 million. That broke the previous record set a day earlier, when shoppers rang up 3.05 million transactions.
At its peak, the Paymark network was processing 99.5 transactions a second and 320,000 an hour.
Paymark chief executive Simon Tong said shoppers left their run late this year, meaning little rest before the Boxing Day sales, which had become part of Kiwi retail culture.
Mr Brewer said the Boxing Day sales were popular as many people knew it was a time to get good deals.
Gift vouchers were also increasingly popular and people realised a sale was the best time to maximise their value.
Like it or loathe it, shopping was the leading leisure activity and one that could be shared across the generations, he said.
"I think that after Christmas it is a good excuse to get the family and in-laws out of the house for a while, and shopping is something they can do together."
Mr Brewer said that in an increasingly secular society some families chose to get their Christmas presents on Boxing Day.
Some also purchased presents for the following Christmas.
Debra McGhie, of Westfield New Zealand, said Boxing Day was one of the busiest trading days in the year.
"Boxing Day sales have become a tradition with a number of our retailers ... We know it is a busy trading day."
