A plan of attack helps if a shopper wants to emerge victorious from the annual Boxing Day sales.
Kieran Fleury, of Dunedin, knew what he wanted to buy before entering the Boxing Day sale at The Warehouse in South Dunedin yesterday.
He needed collapsible chairs and a chilly bin big enough to hold a birthday cake.
The cake was to celebrate the 18th birthday of his niece, Kimmy Fleury, at the Wingatui Races yesterday.
``My brother has lived in Western Australia for years and this is her first family Christmas back in New Zealand and it's great.''
Shopping was ``the last thing I wanted to do'' yesterday but knowing what he needed and sticking to the plan made it easier to tolerate the sales frenzy.
Dunedin couple Scott Lewis and Taryn Turner hit The Warehouse without a plan.
``We didn't come with anything in mind,'' Miss Turner said.
``We were bargain-hunting, really,'' Mr Lewis said.
The goods inside the couple's shopping trolley included pillows, a laundry basket and a rug.
Dunedin i-Site visitor centre manager Louise van de Vlierd said several of the more than 3000 cruise ship passengers in Dunedin yesterday signalled their intentions to hit the Boxing Day sales.
Harvey Norman Dunedin administration assistant Michaela Andrews said the department store on the corner of Maclaggan and Rattray Sts was ``flat stick'' yesterday.
The most popular sale items were whiteware, especially washing machines.
Warehouse Stationery Dunedin technology retail assistant Tommy Chen said the shop in Cumberland St was busiest about noon yesterday and the most popular sale items were laptop computers.
