BATHURST residents will have another chance to spend up big this festive season with the city set to embrace its first Boxing Day sales.
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While no-one is expecting the long queues and mad dash for bargains that have become features of the capital cities’ Boxing Day sales, major retailers in the Bathurst central business district and at Kelso will open their doors on Thursday for the start of the post-Christmas sales.
Stockland shopping centre outlets Target, Woolworths and Big W will open on Boxing Day, joining Bunnings and Kelso’s BCF.
Bathurst Business Chamber president Tammy Middleton said the stores’ decision to open on Boxing Day followed a reclassification of Bathurst by the State Government.
“The reason I have heard that the stores will be open now, is that Bathurst has been rezoned as a tourist destination,” she said.
“So apparently that means the major tenants will be open.”
Big W store manager Wayne MacKay yesterday confirmed his business would be open Boxing Day, but he was not expecting any chaotic scenes.
“I would expect it to busy for the first few hours as people grab discounted decorations or Christmas trees and other gift ideas for next year,” he said.
“But it won’t be as hectic [as Sydney]. There might be a few people lined up at 9am, but I don’t think we’ll see people trying to get under the door.”
However, the move to open on Boxing Day has left a bitter taste in the mouths of a number of other store owners who would like to see shops remain closed.
“I just think it is wrong, surely people can wait two days to do their shopping,” one owner, who did not wish to be named, said.
“Everybody is entitled to have a few days off no matter where they work.”
Mr MacKay agreed that he and his staff would have liked an extra day off to relax over Christmas, but said market pressures meant was not possible.
“We did not plan to open on Boxing Day, but we have to due to the current market,” he said.
“The market also means that we will be open New Year’s Day as well.”
Open and shut
Business hours on Boxing Day
Big W: Open 9am-5pm.
Woolworths: Open 9am-5pm.
Target: Open 9am-5pm.
Bunnings: Open 9am-5pm.
BCF: Open 8.30am-5pm.
Harvey Norman: Closed.
Good Guys: Closed.
