Shoppers rush to city stores for Boxing Day bargains

AAP General News (Australia)
12-26-2000
Shoppers rush to city stores for Boxing Day bargains

SYDNEY, Dec 26 AAP - Shoppers are crowding into department stores in Sydney to snap
up bargains in the Boxing Day sales with retailers reporting huge interest in the first
few hours of trading.

Doors opened at 9am, the first time NSW legislation has allowed department stores to
trade on the day after Christmas.

"It's going famously, we've had absolutely massive crowds turn up here this morning
and we'd have many tens of thousands of people in the store at the moment across the whole
eight levels," said Grace Bros Sydney city store manager Peter Dansie.

Early indications were that trading would exceed previous trading days for the city store.

"At this stage if it keeps going the way it's going it will probably be our biggest
day ever in the store," Mr Dansie said.

David Jones national director of stores Don Grover estimated 10,000-15,000 shoppers
were in their Sydney city store and numbers were building.

"It's been exceptionally good, in NSW its the first time we've opened our CBD store
on Boxing Day and of course our suburban stores are closed so customers are coming here
to get the bargains," he said.

"The sales coming through from Melbourne and Queensland are both very strong so all
three states are trading well."

The buying spree follows strong retail sales in the lead up to Christmas. The Australian
Retailers Association said Australians spent $5.6 billion on gifts and food in the run
up to Christmas and $2 billion of that in the weekend before Christmas Day.

AAP mg

KEYWORD: XMAS RETAIL SALES

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