Christmas is Coming – Three Months to Go

Today marks three months until Christmas Eve, and Retail NZ says that shoppers can expect to start seeing Christmas decorations about in malls over the next few weeks.

“During October, we will see Christmas decorations starting to appear in malls, and department stores with Christmas Shops will generally open them,” Retail NZ’s General Manager for Public Affairs, Greg Harford, said today. “While some might think it’s early, most people have already planned their Christmas holidays, and their thoughts are now turning to Christmas shopping.

“In London this year, Selfridges opened its Christmas shop on 1 August – nearly five months out, but here in New Zealand, the Christmas season starts quite a lot later. We know though, that some super-organised customers will already be planning their Christmas shopping now, and starting to buy.

“Christmas is a critical time for retailers. We expect to see a steady rise in spending over the next three months, culminating in a crescendo of shopping on Christmas Eve, traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year. Last year, Kiwis spent more than $404 million on Christmas Eve alone, and we predict that figure will increase this year to reflect population growth and the generally positive state of the economy.

“New Zealand retailers operate in a very competitive environment. They compete not only with each other, but also with global retailers who can sell to New Zealanders over the Internet without paying their fair share of GST to the Government. Nonetheless, consumer confidence is high, and retailers are feeling generally optimistic as they head into the Christmas season.”

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