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Shoppers flock to the malls for Boxing Day sales - Source: ONE News -
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An early start to Boxing Day sales didn't stop people turning out in their droves at shopping centres today.
Some retailers started discounting online as early as Christmas Eve but malls are reporting a turnout at least as good as last year.
And as the bargain-hungry hit the roads, there was traffic gridlock around shopping centres.
More than 70,000 people flocked to Auckland's Sylvia Park, where the carpark chaos was just a preview of what foot traffic was like inside.
Many also chose malls over a perfect summer's day in Wellington. And in Christchurch, where a 5.8 magnitude earthquake saw malls like Riccarton close early on Christmas Eve, shoppers were back out in force.
Retailers Noel Leeming, Bond & Bond and The Warehouse gave shoppers a headstart this year, offering Boxing Day deals online as early as Christmas Eve.
Warehouse store manager Ben Hatch said the aim was to give customers a chance to purchase the deals without having to come to the store.
"They've secured their deal, and obviously from our point of view it's growing our online channel as well."
But retailers say it hasn't kept people from coming in store today. Some were forced to close off part of their shop fronts to contain the crowds, leaving the public vowing to take up the online offers next year.
On Friday $230 million went through the tills, up $6.3 million on the same day last year.
Russell Sinclair of the Retailers' Association said Boxing Day is renowned for being the day of the big discounts, but he said it may have been harder to find a bargain this year.
He said New Zealand has seen discounts all year in a bid to lure shoppers as retail continues to suffer after the recession.
The Rugby World Cup provided a much needed jump in sales for the last quarter of the year with retail spending up 2.2% to $16.97 billion.
