Kiwi shoppers have spent up large this year, but not in Auckland and Wellington, according to Paymark figures.
Shoppers were out in Wellington before Christmas but not so much on Boxing Day. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
This year's Boxing Day spending was up 6.4 percent on last year, with a whopping $139 million being put in the tills.
The big winners were department, appliance, and home decorating shops, the electronic payment company said.
It said shoppers also spent more at fast food outlets on 26 December with an increase of 16.2 percent.
But Auckland/Northland and Wellington spending was only slightly up. Shoppers in Auckland/Northland spent $57.1 million - 3.7 percent more than last year, and in Wellington $11.4 million was spent - 2.4 percent more than last year.
Paymark's spokesman Paul Brislen said the highest growth was in West Coast (25.7 percent), Marlborough (24.4 percent), Wairarapa (15.5 percent) and Gisborne (12.5 percent).
"It's an interesting trend ... that the regions grow so strongly and in the main centres it's a little bit quieter."
He said people may have travelled out of the main centres at the weekend, or the weather played a part.
Mr Brislen said Kaikoura was included in the Marlborough figures which was positive for the community after its earthquake last year.
"Seeing their stats be so strong right through the Christmas spending period is a very good sign for Christmas retailers in the area."
The busiest shopping day was normally Christmas Eve but this year it was 22 December when nearly $300 million was spent, Mr Brislen said.
He said it was expected when Christmas fell on a Monday.
Paymark covers more than 75 percent of terminals in the country but Mr Brislen said it was important to remember even more spending would have been done online.
"We know that online shopping is growing quite rapidly in New Zealand so you have to add all of that in on top of this as well," he said.
"I think the retailers really have had a very good year indeed."