Shoppers spent more than $62m on Boxing Day bargains this year

Monday, 28 December 2020

NZ Post had forecast a 20 per cent rise in online shopping this holiday season, but its latest research suggests even that was conservative.

Bargain hunters spent $62.2 million on Boxing Day this year, latest Paymark figures show.

But retail spending, excluding food, drink and hospitality, dropped 2.2 per cent this year compared to last year as people spent more than $166m on Christmas Eve.

Pre-Christmas spending was strong, up 5 per cent over the five weeks ending December 27, which included the busy Black Friday weekend in November.

Shoppers at David Jones department store at Westfield Newmarket in Auckland on Boxing Day 2020.

Aucklanders shopped up a storm, with the region spending more than $28m on Boxing Day.

The Plaza buzzing with shoppers looking for their Boxing Day bargains.

* More than $650m spent over Black Friday weekend this year

* Spending during lockdown dropped 90% outside of supermarkets, liquor stores

Spending in Whanganui and Waikato on Boxing Day was up more than 7 per cent on last year, but retailers in the South Island - particularly Marlborough, the West Coast and Southland - saw big drops, with figures down more than 13 per cent.

Merchants directly exposed to the tourism sector saw the effects of Covid-19, with spending generally below year before levels.

Sales at food and liquor services dropped 0.5 per cent on a year ago over the last five weeks.

Black Friday proved popular again this year with shoppers spending more than $650 million over the last weekend of November, up 4 per cent on 2019, according to Paymark.

On Boxing Day an NZ Post spokeswoman said the courier service expected to deliver about 800,000 parcels this week and about 250,000 of those were expected to be directly related to Boxing Day sales.

Trade Me said by 8am on Saturday there were 4400 unwanted gifts listed for sale on the website.

Spokesperson Millie Silvester says they include a Mazda Demio in the wrong colour, a “piece of S#£%” toy from a Christmas cracker, and a pair of Apple Airpods Pro from a parent whose daughter was adamant she’d prefer the standard version.