Bargain hunters were out early for the Boxing Day sales in Wangaratta on Friday morning. Kmart, Big W and Target had enthusiastic shoppers waiting for the large stores' doors to open, keen to snap up discounted wares. Christmas decorations, toys and an assortment of kitchen wares were among items in demand. There were arguably fewer stores opened than in previous years in Wangaratta, with shoppers having around a dozen outlets open within the city's CBD. The Co-Store complex was a popular place to be, with the highest concentration of shops opened including Target, The Reject Shop, Prouds Jewellers, Platypus and Provincial. Wangaratta resident Marlee Crockett was the first to enter Prouds when the doors opened at 10am. "I'm purchasing a watch," she said, carrying bags full of items already acquired at The Reject Shop and Target. "I love the Boxing Day sales and have picked up quite a few Christmas decorations for next year as I like to be organised." Elsewhere, shoppers in Reid Street had sales in Just Jeans, Evans Shoes and Gazman, while Murphy Street stores opened for business included Edgars Books and News, Sportspower, Harvey Norman, Sussan and Suzanne Grae. Nationwide, Boxing Day is expected to be a major sales moment on Australia’s shopping calendar with the latest Paypal research indicating two in five Australians plan to shop the sales. "Younger Australians are particularly keen – nearly half of Gen Z (48 per cent) and 46 per cent of Millennials say they’ll be hitting the Boxing Day bargains, showing the traditional sales moment holds strong appeal even as Black Friday continues to grow," a Paypal spokesperson said.
