Shop trading laws should be updated to take account of online buying, New Zealand's retail organisation says.
Despite it being illegal for stores on the streets to sell goods on Christmas day many big retailers will be open online. Boxing Day sales are set to get underway online from tonight.
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The Warehouse expects tomorrow to be its busiest sales day of the year, thanks to online shopping. Last year its busiest online shopping period was at about 8pm on Christmas Day.
Some other retailers are already offering Boxing Day sale goods on the internet.
Retail New Zealand chief executive officer Mark Johnston said the trend to begin internet sales on Christmas Day suggested it was time for a change to the country's trading laws.
"I think it's time to revisit that legislation, just to look at what consumers want to do but also what retailers want to do in terms of being able to open.
"And there are some exemptions around the country which make it a little bit difficult for retailers to know exactly what they can do and where they can go about selling."
Mr Johnston says the current legislation was set up in 1990, before the advent of online shopping, and it needs to be updated to accommodate new technology and spending habits.
Most retailers are banned from opening on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Christmas Day and Anzac Day morning, but some places like Queenstown are exempt.
One in three spend less, take less time off
A survey suggests one in every three people will spend less on presents and take less time off work this Christmas.
A poll of 500 people by Research New Zealand has found while just over half plan to spend the same amount, a third will spend less than they did last year on presents.
The same applies when it comes to taking time off work.
Research New Zealand's director, Emanuel Kalafatelis said 13 percent of those surveyed were not taking any time off at all, up from 8 per cent last year.
The poll was a representative sample of the population aged 18 and over and has a margin of error of 4.6 per cent.