And while shoppers seem to have been getting out later this festive season, Dunedin's malls are reporting good crowds of people, trying to tick off their Christmas present shopping lists.
The Golden Centre Mall is in the middle of the three George Street malls heavily impacted by the CBD upgrades this year.
Retailers are happy with the decision by the Dunedin City Council to temporarily reopen the George Street block to traffic, pausing further roadworks over the Christmas period, to try and help boost trade for businesses.
"Since last Friday, we have seen an awful lot more people coming in," she said.
Last-minute present shopping is ramping up with just a few days to go until the big day, with many people looking for inspiration for "what's hot" this Christmas.
Rivett said it was great to see more shoppers coming through the doors, with the mall offering a free gift-wrapping station until Christmas Eve as another way of encouraging people to support the mall's retailers.
"Our whole motto for this Christmas is making Christmas shopping easy," she said.
And the festive cheer is set to build further, with carol singers booked to provide some yuletide entertainment for shoppers, and help everybody get into the Christmas spirit despite the late rush.
- By Jacqui Lynch, Made with the support of NZ On Air
