As Dunedin retailers walked a fine line between discounting excess stock and still making money on Boxing Day, shoppers lapped up resulting bargains yesterday.
Advertisements touting discounts anywhere between 20% and 70% off, matched with "biggest ever summer sale" and "million-dollar clearance" slogans, saw thousands of people hit the shops in Dunedin.
Otago Chamber of Commerce chief executive John Christie described the day as "pretty big for retailers.
Dunedin retailers, in particular, would have been looking forward to the turnover they get on Boxing Day."
Whereas it used to be a day for retailers to move excess Christmas stock, it had become a big part of retail trade and customers expected to be offered sizeable savings, he said.
With the size of some discounts, "some retailers could be doing it tough balancing out moving stock and making money", he said.
The day could also prove stressful for retailers as they dealt with large numbers of customers, many of whom wanted to exchange unwanted or faulty presents.
The country's largest eftpos company, Paymark, said early figures suggested this year's Boxing Day turnover may be higher than last year's.
Paymark spokesman Paul Whiston said at the peak of shopping, between noon and 3pm, 220,000 purchases were made.
In Dunedin, shoppers were still full of Christmas spirit.
One assistant at a department store said "the customers have been really nice this year".
"Everyone is understanding that it's a busy day."
Dunedin department store Farmers was full of people buying "personal" items, store manager Shelly Gilchrist said.
"It lived up to its expectations . . .
''What recession?" she said with a laugh.
Shoppers spoken to by the Otago Daily Times commented on the pleasing size of discounts and how big the crowds were.
Emrys Parry, of Dunedin, who liked to wait for the sales to "update things we needed", was busy restocking his kitchen with new appliances.
"Geriatric teenagers" Phyll and Roy Jones, of Tauranga, stocked up on tramping gear for a trip to Switzerland in August next year.
They felt it was worth buying items early because of the "really good sales".
SPENDING RECORDS
• Paymark, which processes 75% of New Zealand's electronic transactions, recorded $216 million in sales on Christmas Eve - an increase of 19.2% on last year.
• Head of sales and customer relations Paul Whiston told NZPA the last-minute shopping rush on Christmas Eve broke all the records.
• It was the first time $200 million had been spent in a single day of retailing, he said.
