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Bay of Plenty businesses were “run off their feet” today with this year’s Boxing Day sales expected to reach record highs.

Fashion Island Shopping Centre manager Roz Irwin said the Boxing Day sales were going “really well”.

She said despite speculation of a downturn in spending, they hadn’t noticed any decline at all.

 “I think it was all hype and speculation to be fair because our sales certainly don’t reflect that.”

Irwin acknowledged it had been a tough couple of years for retail.

However, today businesses had been ‘’run off their feet’' due to the number of shoppers taking advantage of the sales.

 “There have been challenges with Covid and the supply chain so it is great they are having a really good trading period over the Christmas period.”

Pāpāmoa was also starting to fill up with holidaymakers and visitors.

“We have definitely noticed the visitors starting to arrive and that should be steady throughout January.”

Fashion Island has some big box stores including Puma, Under Armour, Converse, Cotton Kids and Bendon Outlet.

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Steve Blackler travelled to Fashion Island from Tauranga for his once-a-year shop.

For $200 he nabbed three pairs of running shoes, three pairs of socks, and a T-shirt and singlet. “I always wait for the Boxing Day sales,” he said.

Fashion Island shoppers Clay Weston (left), Paityn Smith, Amelia Anderson, Essence Smith, Jessie Macdonald, Jack Smith and Dwayne Johnson. Photo / Carmen Hall

Jack Smith was so impressed with his purchases of shorts and a T-shirt, he was wearing them.

“I want to look fresh.”

Jessie Macdonald used the opportunity to buy her sister a late Christmas present while Amelia Anderson stocked up on bikinis and togs for the beach, and an outfit for the One Love Festival.

Meanwhile, 13-year-old Paityn Smith and 14-year-old Essence Smith spent their Christmas gift money on shoes, pajamas, jeans and socks. All agreed they were “big bargain hunters”.

It comes after consumer spending in the week ending December 17 in Worldline New Zealand’s payments network in the Bay of Plenty sat at $57.3 million.

Spending typically drastically increases in the week before the big day, and on Boxing Day last year about $7.1m was spent in the region.

Worldline New Zealand would have data on Boxing Day sales after today but chief sales officer Bruce Proffit said overall data was likely to show retail shoppers spent more this year than last year in the week leading up to Christmas.

“At this stage it looks like 2022 could be set to take out the record of highest-ever consumer spend for pre-Christmas shopping in New Zealand.”

Shopper Steve Blackler was happy with his Boxing Day haul. Photo / Carmen Hall

Bayfair Shopping Centre manager Steve Ellingford said considering the sunny day it looked like many people had chosen to visit the centre looking for a bargain.

“We opened at 8am and it’s been busy ever since,” Ellingford told the Bay of Plenty Times.

“Looking at the visitation counts it looks pretty good.”

Ellingford said compared to last year’s numbers it looked like more people had been through Bayfair Shopping Centre by 1pm than on Boxing Day in 2021.

“We’re certainly up on last year for this time of day.”

Kings and Queens Jewellery operations manager Maz Kumar said both the Bayfair and Rotorua stores were hectic.

“Really full on.”

He said he understood there were about 28,000 people at Bayfair on one of the days leading up to Christmas, and he believed there would have been even more yesterday.

“We’ll be quite a bit up from last year.”

There were people from all walks of life and it was enjoyable seeing them all, he said.

Tauranga Rockshop store manager Sean Hose said compared to 2021 more customers had come through the door.

“There’s been a lot of people coming through. It’s been busier than last year that’s for sure,” Hose said.

Hose said today’s customers were after a bit of everything.

“Some are people who got gift cards for Christmas. There are also some people who’ve been wanting to buy something all year but were just waiting for a good sale to come about.

“Today there’ve been lots of happy faces and it’s good.”

Bayfair Shopping Centre manager Steve Ellingford said shops had been busy since opening at 8am on Boxing Day. Photo / Andrew Warner

Shoe Science’s Tauranga Crossing store manager Jodie Morgan said staff had been pretty busy with customers.

“It’s been busy,” Morgan said. “[People have been looking for] sandals and shoes, more sandals at the moment with the time of the year.”

However, some small business owners in the wider Bay of Plenty had different experiences.

In Whakatāne, Whitegold kids clothing and homeware boutique owner Laura Shaw said she had been expecting Boxing Day to be busier.

“I think it’s because last year Boxing Day was on a Sunday,” Shaw said.

Shaw bought Whitegold in April and said this was the first year the shop was open on Boxing Day.

“Everyone’s out having a wander. They’re enjoying the sunshine,” Shaw said, describing the atmosphere on The Strand.

 “It’s a chilled vibe but I think people aren’t necessarily looking to spend money.”

Stephanie Saxton, owner of new Waihī store Slowly Golden said it was “definitely not as busy as previous years” at the beach.

Saxton, originally from Canada, opened Slowly Golden earlier this year.

“It’s been consistent but it’s not as busy around town as in previous years.”

Meanwhile, some of those who were less than pleased with their Christmas presents wasted no time listing them on Trade Me.

Of more than 4300 items listed as unwanted gifts, 166 were from the Bay of Plenty and included chilly bins, chess boards and lots of clothing.

In total, more than 34,000 searches had been made for unwanted gifts since Christmas day before midday Boxing Day.