Huge crowds are expected in Shellharbour today at the first Boxing Day sales since the city's retail heart was upgraded.
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Many retailers at the Stockland Shellharbour complex launched their sales prior to the big day, however others, such as women's clothing retailer Osop, see the value in a dramatic post-Christmas launch.
Osop manager Lucy Fischer said discounts of 50 per cent will apply store-wide from today.
"Nothing in the store will be more than $35," she said.
"No other day even comes close to what we do on Boxing Day.
"It's the most important day of sales for the year."
Most stores at the Shellharbour complex will trade between 8am and 5pm today.
Last year about 50 people were waiting when the doors opened, but it was 11am before the crowds truly swelled.
According to the Deloitte Christmas Retailers' Survey, about a third of retailers planning discounts launched them early, reflecting the pressures felt by the sector after two years of sluggish trading.
Earlier this month the Melbourne Institute-Westpac index showed a 4.1 per cent drop in consumer confidence, heightening the prospect that retailers will engage in deep discounting.