Bonza Boxing Day for shops

By Alanah May Eriksen

Shoppers taking advantage of the Boxing Day sales are hitting town in a buying frenzy.

Rotorua Jeans West store manager Kelly Tregoweth said the shop had been quiet in the two weeks leading up to Christmas as people had come in earlier to shop.

"We were expecting a few last minute shoppers but it hasn't been too bad.

"It has been steady and I think it will carry on that way."

Christmas Eve had been quiet but she was expecting an influx of people today.

"People wait because they know there are going to be Boxing Day sales and they can do it all then."

The store's profit had already surpassed last year's, she said.

An extra casual shop assistant had been hired to work over the busy Christmas holidays and there are three or four staff members working at a time, rather than the usual two.

She said a lot of people had bought clothes to wear to Christmas parties rather than as Christmas presents.

"We have lots of mark-downs and all our dresses and full price jeans are for sale - both men's and women's," Miss Tregoweth said.

Tokoroa woman Daphne Pellew always hits The Warehouse's Boxing Day sale to buy cheap Christmas lights to decorate her house next year. Daphne and her husband Les were runners up in The Warehouse's national Light Up Your Home competition.

"It's amazing what you can pick up," she said.

"You just have to dig through different things.

"Boxing Day's great for shopping."

She also buys children's toys for her husband, who dresses as Santa, to give to children who visit their house to look at the lights.

Rotorua Chamber of Commerce chief executive Roger Gordon predicted retailers would be rushed off their feet today.

"A few families give out money for Christmas and tell their loved ones to buy themselves something nice with it," he said.

"It will be a busy day in town, people will be spending up large."

He said New Zealanders traditionally spent Christmas Day at home then travelled on Boxing Day, making the roads extra busy and keeping hotels and motels fully booked.

"And that of course translates into people hitting the shops.

"[Today] will be a nice day for shopping, there is still a bit of money around."

The average New Zealander was expected to spend $922 on Christmas, a national spend of close to $2.76 billion.

Those with children were expected to spend $1100 - 21 per cent more than last year.

Kiwis were predicted to have spent 2 per cent more this Christmas than last, with 92 per cent planning to pay off their credit cards within the following three months, according to a credit card company survey.