Festive buskers were singing and cash registers were ringing in Wollongong’s CBD, as retailers braced for crowds of 80,000people on the last weekend before Christmas.
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GPT’s centre manager Nathan Yeo said shopper numbers had already been strong during the first Christmas rush since the new Wollongong Central mall had opened.
“We’re expecting a million people to come through over December and so far the visitation has been really strong,” he said.
“But the final Christmas rush really kicks in from the weekend, as most businesses will be winding down after Friday.”
He said he would not have sales figures until early in the new year, but said anecdotal evidence suggested retailers were doing well.
“In terms of sales figures it’s hard to tell, all we can go off is anecdotal feedback, so we are seeing strong sales in fashion, accessories, books, technology products, jewellery, cosmetics and toys,” he said.
“We have had more of an influx of people than we have had over the past few years, because people are coming back into the city centre to see what’s happening.”
As in previous years, the Wollongong shops will not be able to open during the Boxing Day sales, with Illawarra shoppers forced to head north to Sydney or south to Shellharbour.
Illawarra Christmas trading hours 2014
Wollongong Central
- Monday, December 22, 9am-7pm
- Tuesday, December 23, 9am-7pm
- Christmas Eve, 8am-5.30pm
- Christmas Day, closed
- Boxing Day, closed
- Saturday, December 27, 8am-7pm
- Sunday, December 28, 9am-6pm
David Jones Wollongong
- Monday, December 22, 8am-midnight
- Tuesday, December 23, 8am-midnight
- Christmas Eve, 8am-6pm
- Christmas Day, closed
Stockland Shellharbour
- Monday, December 22, 8am-8pm
- Tuesday, December 23, 8am-10pm
- Christmas Eve, 8am-5.30pm
- Christmas Day, closed
- Boxing Day, 8am-6pm
- Saturday, December 27, 8am-7pm
- Sunday, December 28, 9am-6pm
Stockland Corrimal
- Monday, December 22, 8am-6pm
- Tuesday, December 23, 8am-5.30pm
- Christmas Eve, 8am-5.30pm
- Christmas Day, closed
- Boxing Day, closed
- Saturday, December 27, 9am-4pm
- Sunday, December 28, 10am-4pm
Westfield Figtree
- Monday, December 22, 9am-5.30pm
- Tuesday, December 23, 8.am-6pm
- Christmas Eve, 8am-5.30pm
- Christmas Day, closed
- Boxing Day, closed
- Saturday, December 27, 8am-5pm
- Sunday, December 28, 10am-4pm
Westfield Warrawong
- Monday, December 22, 9am-5.30pm
- Tuesday, December 23, 8am-6pm (fresh food open from 7am)
- Christmas Eve, 8am-5.30pm (fresh food open from 7am)
- Christmas Day, closed
- Boxing Day, closed
- Saturday, December 27, 8am-5pm (Boxing Day sales start)
- Sunday, December 28, 10am-4pm
Dapto Mall
- Monday, December 22, 9am-7pm
- Tuesday, December 23, 9am-7pm
- Christmas Eve, 8am-5.30pm
- Christmas Day, closed
- Boxing Day, closed
- Saturday, December 27, 9am-4pm
- Sunday, December 28, 10am-4pm
Warilla Grove
- Click here for holiday trading hours
Kiama Woolworths
- Monday, December 22, 7.30am-9pm
- Tuesday, December 23, 7am-10pm
- Christmas Eve, 7am-10pm
- Christmas Day, closed
- Boxing Day, 8am-8pm
- Saturday, December 27, 7.30am-9pm
- Sunday, December 28, 8am-9pm
Nowra Stockland
- Monday, December 22, 9am-6.30pm
- Tuesday, December 23, 9am-6.30pm
- Christmas Eve, 9am-5.30pm
- Christmas Day, closed
- Boxing Day, 10am-4pm
- Saturday, December 27, 9am-5pm
- Sunday, December 28, 9am-5pm
Council holiday hours 2014
Keen swimmers, bookworms and other users of council facilities should expect a number of changes during the Christmas-New Year period.
For those keen to keep cool, public swimming pools in the Wollongong and Shellharbour areas will open every day except Christmas Day.
Kiama and Gerringong libraries will be closed from December 25 until January 1, while Shellharbour bookworms will have to wait until January 5 for the city’s libraries to re-open.
Library closures in the Wollongong area vary, but all will have re-opened by January 2.
Those worried about the growing piles of wrapping paper and leftovers should not despair – waste collection will continue as normal in Shellharbour, while Wollongong residents whose rubbish is usually collected on a Thursday should expect their bins to be emptied from 6am, December 26.
The Whytes Gully and Dunmore waste depots will only close on Christmas Day. The Minnamurra Recycling Facility will shut down on December 25 and January 1.
For more information visit the City Council websites.
Wollongong waste collection
- Waste, recycling and green bins normally emptied on a Thursday will be collected on the following day, December 26. Council’s waste collection contractor will otherwise continue as normal throughout the Christmas-New Year period.
- Residents are reminded to put their bins out before 6am on their collection day, rather than rely on usual collection times.
- Missed bins should be reported within 24 hours of the scheduled collection day on the waste hotline 1300 362 360.
- On-call household clean-up service will recommence on January 5.
- For all other closures, click here.
Shellharbour waste collection
- Garbage services as normal.
- Dunmore Waste Depot open during Christmas period except Christmas Day.
- For all other closures, click here.
