Eftpos transactions reached record highs today as Kiwi shoppers, filled with "Christmas spirit'', packed out stores around the country.

Today's final rush to complete pre-Christmas shopping will also complete a highly successful period for retailers.

Paymark figures show shoppers spending up large as malls brace for last-minute Christmas splurge.

Boxing Day sales are a magnet for `sport shoppers' with new apps seeking to fuel their competitive streak.

December has so far seen spending growth unseen for several years, Paymark says.

New Zealanders have spent more than $2.2 billion on their Eftpos cards in the first two weeks of December.

Businesses are smiling, frazzled customers are queuing and there are still nine more days of shopping to go.

Guys, do you plan to propose to your loved one on Christmas Day?

A DIY approach to gift baskets will save you money this Christmas, writes Susan Edmunds.

Shoppers descended on malls all over the country yesterday as the Christmas rush began.

Wal-Mart Stores is ushering in a changing of the guard as the world's largest retailer confronts slower growth and challenges to its reputation.

A controversial new Bunnings store on Great North Rd in Grey Lynn, Auckland, has been approved.

Online portal open all hours puts buyers close-up in front of works throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

The battle over a proposed controversial Bunnings in Grey Lynn will likely be headed for the Environment Court - irrespective of a decision by planning commissioners.

Goodman Property Trust, with a $2 billion real estate portfolio, will celebrate the opening of the first stage of its new town centre.

Kathmandu shares soared to an all-time high yesterday after the company reported a record annual result.

A nine-level $100m development will soon rise on a yawning chasm behind Ponsonby Rd in one of the biggest projects by Progressive Enterprises.

Consumers turned out in force in the June quarter, with core retail sales rising 2.3 per cent in real terms, the fastest clip since September 2011.

JB Hi-Fi has defied a difficult trading environment to lift sales and profit, and expects the trend to continue for the next 12 months.

Luxury retailer Saks has agreed to sell itself to Hudson's Bay Co, the Canadian parent of upscale retailer Lord & Taylor, for about US$2.4 billion.

Michael Hill International has become the latest NZX-listed retailer to flag difficult trading conditions in Australia.

Retail spending charged to electronic cards rose 1.1 per cent last month, seasonally adjusted, the largest monthly increase since August last year.

The Warehouse has expanded its online presence through its fifth acquisition in nine months.

British American Tobacco Holdings New Zealand's profit was down almost 5 per cent in 2012.

The late Kiwi bushman Barry Crump might be turning in his grave. Or perhaps he'd be jealous there is now a range of Swanndri he could wear to dinner.

Public perceptions of how competitive the retail electricity sector is have improved, though to less-than-emphatic levels.

The Warehouse is about to embark on a radical new expansion strategy using television.

Australian consumers are spending again, though not as much of their income as they did before the global crisis five years ago.

When you're selling a product that's hotter than heroin, odds are there's going to be a few issues to deal with, writes Liam Dann.