Salvation Army gift appeal further behind target than it has ever been before in its 23-year history

Kmart NZ managing director Sue Smith said stores in South Auckland and Hamilton are particularly in need of gifts. Photo / Brett Phibbs

The Salvation Army says a gift appeal is further behind its target than at any other point in the appeal's 23 year history.

The Kmart Wishing Tree appeal, run in partnership with the Salvation Army, has to collect 38,144 more presents to reach its target of 50,000 by Christmas Eve - 4,768 presents per day.

Major Pam Waugh of the Salvation Army said there were increased demands on donors this year, and people were finding their own costs increasing too.

"This is the first year we've been this far behind at this stage," Waugh said.

"Usually by the week out we're pretty much getting there."

Yesterday ZM presenter Vaughan Smith and his daughters donated their The Elf on the Shelf picture book collection to the pile at Kmart St Luke's, bringing the total to 11,856 gifts received nationwide.

"If you're in the position to be able to help, then I can't see why not," Smith said.

"We don't give to other people at the expense of the kids but we also want the kids to know that there's people out there who definitely aren't as lucky as we are."

Kmart Manager Sue Smith said stores in South Auckland and Hamilton were particularly in need of gifts.

ZM's Vaughan Smith and daughters Indie and August place gifts under the Salvation Army Christmas tree at K-Mart. Photo / Supplied

"The gifts that are collected go to the location where the gifts are dropped off," Sue Smith said.

"Those two regions are probably a little bit behind where they need to be."

Sue Smith said they were also in need of gifts targeted at teenagers like headphones and beauty sets.

"The parents get to select gifts for the children, so it's a gift from them rather than a gift from the Salvation Army."

Waugh said working families made up 12 percent of the 17,000 families who would reach out for help with gifts at Christmas this year.

"The high cost of living in New Zealand means that even the families with a waged income have to sacrifice a lot of the little luxuries in life including birthday and Christmas gifts."

The appeal has been run every year since Kmart's arrival in New Zealand 23 years ago and is now the country's largest and longest-running Christmas gift appeal. To date it has collected and distributed over 420,000 gifts.