For example, the Boxing Day sales concentrated on luxury items and technology as the most sought after goods in Sydney and Perth, particularly among younger shoppers. It was reported that after spending like misers all year, Australians unleashed the purse strings, finally finding the urge to splurge at the Boxing Day sales.
Although neither he nor his family participated in the Boxing Day Sales (called the White Sales in America), he does remember discussion among the women friends of his mother about going to the city to attend them, when the family linen or tableware needed replacing, or when they got wind of a wedding in the district, so they could buy the bridal gift at a reduced price.
These careful housewives in the country who remembered both The Depression and the rationing of The War, would have monitored the regular prices in the catalogues that came in the mail, and if they did make a trip to 'The Sales', they would make a bee-line for the exact items they had identified that the household needed, and they would not pay a penny more than the discount they thought should be fair.
These sales also served the stores well – by helping them sell outdated stock that they would not be able to get rid of in the new year, when next season's "new improved" sheets or refrigerators or shoes or 'whatever' came in.
Mark Tronson has noted several articles this past holiday season, where analysts have either commented on or predicted larger-than-ever post-Christmas sales, coming upon a year when not a lot of spending has been done by Australians.
http://www.news.com.au/money/gen-y-leads-the-charge-as-aussies-find-urge-to-splurge-at-boxing-day-sales/story-e6frfmci-1225976395052
He was interested that the residents of Perth consider themselves the leader in these sales, as the stores opened for a rare Sunday trading day. These same residents recently voted to keep Sunday free of shopping in Perth.
"Perhaps the current generation of young home owners has learnt the same lessons of thrift as my parents, due to the ramifications of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) in recent years," mused Mark Tronson. "It seems they have been saving their pennies, and instead of looking at catalogues, they have been comparing online and in-store prices, and are well prepared to snap up a real discount on their much-planned purchases."
Australian National Retailers Association chief executive Margy Osmond said "What we're hearing is that Generation Y has finally come out of hiding and after a year of doing not very much shopping they've been saving up for the sales."
He related how his own son had long planned to buy a wide screen digital television. He knew that the best time to purchase such an item was when they were available on a Sales Day and found a shopping chain that reduced the sales price even further if the customer paid in cash.
He was able to get a terrific deal by paying cash. There was no credit card fee or interest, he got even a better deal that the one advertised and came away with the possession that he had planned to purchase.
Moreover, by taking such an attitude he was not swayed by other items being advertised and promoted.
He feels that many who go through the discomfort of attending the crowds at the sales have a similar 'one track mind'.
Another report he heard was that the retailers were surprised at how many people spent their Christmas gift vouchers at the sales. This shows that not only the buyers, but the gift-givers before Christmas are being similarly thrifty in their purchases, and rather than being swayed by all the hype and commercialism that we now associate with Christmas, are trying to give their loved ones something they really want – and avoiding waste by letting them choose what they really want.
This is all in contrast to many Australians who run up credit card debts – not only at Christmas and the post-Christmas sales, but often all through the year.
After this article was written, Mark Tronson heard that the sales had not produced the anticipated results – that the retailers were disappointed that the amount of revenue did not compensate for a poor year in 2010 after all. It seems that the Australian public is more rational and economical in their habits in poor financial times, than any of the so-called 'forecasters' gave them credit for.
A Bankwest survey showed the 18.7 million Australian credit card holders would put 60 per cent of Boxing Day and January sales spending on their card, but its survey of 1038 Australians also found that more than three-quarters of credit card holders do not know the interest rate that may apply to their purchases.
It is these people who can be waylaid. The Scriptures warn about this behaviour. The veteran 'sales-attendees' who only buy what they know is a good 'bargain' are perhaps, like those who are single minded towards the things of God.