Local retailers are prepared for a busy Boxing Day. Photo / Stephen Parker
Local retailers are prepared for a busy Boxing Day. Photo / Stephen Parker
Having survived the Christmas rush as panicked shoppers bought their last-minute presents, Rotorua retailers are now bracing themselves for a Boxing Day boom.
Boxing Day is one of the busiest days of the year for local retailers as a combination of locals and tourists descend on the shops to find themselves some bargains in the annual sales.
Kiwis were in the mood to shop last week, during the lead-up to Christmas. Paymark figures showed Saturday's midday to 1pm hour broke the previous record - set the day before - with 10,200 transactions every single minute.
Paymark's Paul Brislen said Christmas spending was up 7.6 per cent on last year, which does not include online shopping.
Rotorua Chamber of Commerce president John McRae said that from what he could tell the Christmas period had been busier than most previous years.
"There's more confidence in the New Zealand economy and in our local economy as well, people are willing to spend more. There's also the increase in population here and the increase in tourism.
"I think all the retailers are gearing up for a busier Boxing Day as well. It's hard to say exactly what will go through the till, you really don't know until it happens, but the expectation would be that it will be up on previous years," McRae said.
While he encouraged shoppers to make the most of the Boxing Day sales, he said it was also important to shop within their means.
"This time of year can place a lot of stress on families, that they have to spend more on food and entertainment and hosting people, that's how Christmas tends to be. But it also pays for everyone to be a little bit disciplined around what they're spending today versus what they need to lock away for the future," he said.
Hayley Strickland and her daughters Alannah, front, and Harper finish off their Christmas shopping at Central Mall. Photo / Stephen Parker
Rotorua Central, which is home to many of the big-name shops launching into major sales to make the most of the hefty holiday footfall, is gearing up for another hectic day.
Pukeroa Oruawhata Trust general manager Peter Faulkner said shopping at Central Mall had been steady during the Christmas period.
"I think a lot of people are making the most of weather. Talking to a couple of our tenants involved in the outdoor side of it, they're having a really good time. The others are saying it is steady, due to a combination of the weather and the way Christmas is falling," Faulkner said.
Because Christmas Day fell on a Monday, a lot of shoppers worked up to Friday and did most of their shopping at the weekend.
"It has been a little bit quieter than last year, it wasn't as frantic in the lead-up, but they expected it to catch up.
"I would expect Boxing Day and the Boxing Day sales will be exceptionally strong. The retailers do the Boxing Day sales really well and they stretch out, it's not that critical to get in there first thing in the morning, but as they say 'the early bird catches the worm'," he said.
McLeods Booksellers manager Jemma Pirrie said the store had been "really busy" during December.
"We've had lots of customers and lots of gift buying. I'd say it's about the same as other years. We have to prepare in the sense that we buy quantities of the books that are, for example, in our end of November catalogue. Since then the Christmas rush started.
"We usually stay busy after Christmas with a lot of people on holiday coming in. We have regulars who come to Rotorua each year and love coming to McLeods," Pirrie said.
