Boxing Day didn’t have the same spark last year, with sales down a whopping 12.4% compared to December 2024. New Worldline spending data shows shoppers have put more money into essentials and pulled back on discretionary purchases.
Consumer spending processed through all Core Retail merchants in Worldline NZ’s payments network reached $4.702 billion in December, a 0.2% decline from December 2024 (after adjusting for merchants entering and exiting the network).
While the overall result might look relatively flat on paper, the detail underneath tells a clearer story: New Zealanders are still being cautious, prioritising must-haves over nice-to-haves as cost pressures continue to bite.
Spending in the Food and Liquor category lifted 4.0% for the month, roughly in line with the latest 4.4% food price inflation rate (November-to-November), while spending at all other core retail merchants fell 4.4%, highlighting the pressure on non-essential retail.
Worldline NZ’s Chief Sales Officer, Bruce Proffit, says the figures show a tough retail environment overall over the last month of the year.
He says that food and liquor spending peaked in the days leading up to Christmas Day, while hospitality surged most on Saturdays, and other retail categories showed mixed results across the month.
And while Boxing Day is usually a major marker of consumer confidence and discretionary appetite, 2025’s results were notably subdued. Spending on Boxing Day across all non-food stores through Worldline’s network came in at $51.2 million, down 12.4% on Boxing Day 2024.
Proffit says Boxing Day was a stronger day for clothing retailers, but for most other non-food categories, the busiest days remained the two days before Christmas. He also points out that Boxing Day 2025 didn’t even outperform Black Friday, with Black Friday sales reaching $55.6 million.
Of note is the increase in online spending. “The online spending processed through Worldline was up +18.9% in December. This pattern is likely to be repeated amongst other online payments systems, judging by earlier reports and international patterns.”
With discretionary spending down, it reinforces that consumer confidence is not yet back to where it needs to be.
Consumers are concerned about job security and the overall economic environment, which continues to dampen retail spending.
“This data just shows how tough the trading environment continues to be for retail,” says Carolyn Young, Retail NZ chief executive.
Young points to two major potential liquidation announcements within the first fortnight of 2026: EB Games and Acecco Supermarkets, which together total just over 60 stores.
Young says the retail sector has been under significant strain over the last two to three years. Businesses have advised that they have been absorbing as many cost increases as possible and working harder than ever as margins are squeezed. This has created major challenges for businesses to remain open.
Retail New Zealand hopes for a brighter economy and stronger consumer confidence in 2026. “We know that unemployment continues to be an issue, especially for young people looking for seasonal work or having just completed their qualifications.”
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