'It just kept going': Hectic Boxing Day delivers a boost for Illawarra retailers

The post-Christmas sales period is expected to see shoppers spending hundreds of dollars in stores and online and in the Illawarra they have a number of new stores to choose from.

Earlier this year, big box retail centres opened in Albion Park Rail and Warrawong and Jake Sutinen, service adviser at newly opened Trek bicycle store in Warrawong, said shoppers were impressed with the range available in store.

"It's a bit of a warehouse, having all the stock available on the floor is new ever since COVID, so people walk in and their jaws are on the floor to see how many bikes are in stock."

The top item for shoppers were kids bikes, he said, and with massive sales at neighbouring businesses, Boxing Day saw increased foot traffic even though Trek had sales prior to the holiday.

"We thought maybe there would be a bit of a break after Christmas, but it just kept going," Mr Sutinen said.

In the traditional mecca for shopping in the Illawarra, the Wollongong CBD, saw throngs of eager buyers making the most of the sales, with Wollongong outlets of national chains enticing locals with reductions of 50 per cent and more.

A spokesperson for Wollongong Central said the shopping centre was a strong increase in foot traffic year on year.

Sandeep Singh Mann, who owns Ruh cafe in the shopping centre, said it was "hectic" throughout the day.

"There were definitely more people than in the past week, and the free parking obviously helped," he said.

Cash-strapped consumers were tipped to be drawn to the sales to get the most bang for their buck, after rising interest rates and inflation dampened consumer spending throughout the year.

But Mr Mann, who also operates a cafe in Fairy Meadow, said it wasn't just bargain hunters that were dropping in for a coffee.

"We noticed it was larger groups of people, we had to constantly reshuffle our tables to accommodate those people."

While Black Friday sales have become increasingly popular for consumers as the US-sale event makes its way to Australia, both Mr Sutinen and Mr Mann said the Christmas and Boxing Day period saw higher foot traffic and increased sales.

"Black Friday was good, but it was only one busy day," Mr Sutinen said. "Christmas was way busier."

Mr Mann said shopping patterns were driven by cost-of-living factors such as interest rate rises, and with the Reserve Bank having hiked rates in November but kept them on hold in December, this played out in consumer spending.

"When interest rates go up, immediately there's a bit of a cutback, you can see your foot traffic drop, and then when they hold like they did [in December], then there's a boom again."