Boxing Day sales popular

Rotorua's Boxing Day sales proved a big hit, with the central city buzzing with shoppers yesterday.
Central Mall businesses could barely cope with the number of people surging through their doors - none more so than jewellery store Michael Hill.
Keen bargain hunters Mandi Fletcher and her friends Daniel McCullum and Ashlee De Laurier were so keen for a bargain they camped outside Michael Hill on Christmas night to be first in line for the Boxing Day sale.
Miss Fletcher said apart from picking up some "awesome bargains", they also had a good time, although they had little sleep. "We went in about 6pm and just sat around playing cards and watching movies on my laptop."
She said she bought a $200 pendant for $1 while her friends picked up a set of $389 earrings and a $379 diamond ring, both for just $1.
"We walked past the other day and saw them in the window and thought we'd camp out for the night. It was a lot of fun and really worth it," Miss Fletcher said.
Store manager Danley Vince said the retail chain's annual sale was very popular, with about 120 people waiting outside before the doors opened at 9am.
"I was not expecting so many people. I would have thought people would have been at home with their families recovering from Christmas," he said.
"There were about nine people who had camped outside the store ... the whole idea was to get people in early, so we opened an hour earlier. We've had a shop full of people all day."
Mr Vince said many people who had received vouchers for Christmas came in to redeem them. "We had a slow beginning to December but it seems to have made up for it now - everyone's in a holiday mood," Mr Vince said.
Finn's Fashions owner/operator Lesley Finn said it had been a positive day for the store with a steady flow of customers all day.
"There are lots of holiday makers, people coming in for summer clothes and wedding outfits as well. It's so much better than a normal Sunday.
"There certainly [was] a buzz around town," Mrs Finn said.
Stirling Sports franchise owner/operator Dean Katipa said it was definitely worth opening for Boxing Day, with a steady stream of customers. "There's been a few vouchers, but I get the impression people were given cash for Christmas as I'm taking a lot more cash than I normally would. I think people [were] in the mood to spend money."