The Big Shop, Part 2: Now To Get Some Cheap Stuff
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday December 26, 2002
It took more than 1000 staff hours, but by midnight on Christmas Eve two of Sydney's major department stores had been transformed into a paradise for bargain hunters.
When the city stores of David Jones and Grace Bros open for business today, the Christmas decorations will be gone and replaced with sale banners.
David Jones had 600 assistants and managers working until midnight on Christmas Eve putting out hundreds of discount tables and sale signs.
Down the road at Grace Bros, 900 staff were going through the same routine.
Department stores are expecting today to be their biggest sales day of the year. Matthew McCarthy, the manager of Grace Bros Sydney City, said his store expected to process about 12,000 transactions an hour a 75 per cent increase on an average day.
The national stores director for David Jones, Don Grover, said he expected more than 100,000 shoppers to pass through the doors. ``In the two [city] stores alone we'd have about 70 just dedicated to ensuring that people's comfort and safety is being looked after," he said.
Many stores, particularly those selling women's clothing, began cutting prices before Christmas.
Jigsaw's national retail manager, Gaye Wellington, said that because many of its stores did not open on Boxing Day, ``we saw it as an opportunity to start the sale earlier and give people the chance to buy Christmas gifts at sale prices".
This year, Country Road again offered 20 per cent discounts before Christmas. The group's chief executive officer, Ian Moir, said it had always been successful.
``It drives a huge amount of traffic ... we've found this particular offer is very appealing and it works for us," he said.
The executive director of the Australian Retailers Association, Duncan Shaw, said about $6.1billion was spent nationally on Christmas shopping. NSW accounted for about $2.1 billion.
Because Boxing Day falls on a Thursday, David Jones and Grace Bros will be open for regular late-night shopping hours today, from 9am to 9pm.
WHAT WE BOUGHT
Week starting December 23, 2002
Top selling CDs (source: ARIA)
Let Go Avril Lavigne
The Last Time John Farnham
Best of 1990-2000 U2
Top selling DVDs (source: HMV)
Kylie Fever 2002: Live in ManchesterBand of Brothers: 6 DVD(mini-series)
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: 4 DVD collectors edition
Top selling books (source: Dymocks)
Matthew Flinders' Cat Bryce Courtenay
Dirt Music Tim Winton
Jamie's Kitchen Jamie Oliver
© 2002 Sydney Morning Herald