Xmas shopping: Before-and-after deals in demand

BY KIRAN CHUG

Shoppers waiting for traditional bumper Boxing Day sales could find the shelves bare, as many retailers start their sales early to draw customers in after a tough year.

Retailers Association chief executive John Albertson said shops were being more tactical this Christmas to encourage sales, meaning there could be fewer Boxing Day bargains on offer.

"There's already been a lot of really tactical promotional activity, they're either offering discounts across the whole store for a day or tactically thinking about how to get the customers in."

While consumer spending had been about 2.5 per cent above the levels recorded last year, he said, retailers were offering sales and specials before Christmas because it had still been a difficult year.

He predicted that consumer spending would be up by 4 to 5 per cent in the lead-up to Christmas compared with last year, partly because of the good deals on offer.

"They are there across the board. There's good specials on clothing, but then there's also flat panel televisions and wine at the supermarket."

Stores were still likely to hold back some special offers for Boxing Day, but Mr Albertson said many had ordered less stock for the Christmas period this year after having too much last year when people cut back their spending.

Consumer chief executive Sue Chetwin said people who left their Christmas shopping late tended to spend more because they panicked, so they should watch out for early sales.

"Take advantage of specials, there's lots of shops with big discounts."

Although low consumer spending levels through the year could have led to more shops offering pre-Christmas specials, Ms Chetwin said the traditional sales on December 26 would still go ahead. "We will always get the Boxing Day specials."

At Lower Hutt's Queensgate shopping centre, retailers said special offers were helping attract customers.

Tempt clothing store manager Path Lunsakaewong said in addition to sale racks, most items were on special.

Kikki.k giftshop manager Isabel McAlister said sales were up on last year and shoppers were not necessarily opting for discounted sale items.

The store would still offer Boxing Day sales. Other stores were less keen to give away their plans. Stewart Dawsons jeweller manager Karen Broadman said she wanted to know what competing stores were doing on Boxing Day before disclosing any plans.

Cameron Brewer, chief executive of Newmarket Business Association in Auckland, said people seemed to be buying more practical gifts this year, such as shopping vouchers.

A Paymark spokesman said the retail year's busiest period was usually between 12pm and 1pm on Christmas Eve, with up to 120 electronic transactions per second.

- © Fairfax NZ News