Sales kick off on Boxing Day

Boxing Day is here and with it the start of winter sales. As the Christmas hangovers slowly begin to dissipate and old wrapping paper dutifully disposed of in the recycling bin, St Stephen’s Day is also the day of more shopping.

While local sales may not comparable to London’s Boxing Day sales – or Australia’s, where Melbourne shops opened at 5am to thousands of eager shoppers, many of whom will have camped overnight – but there is still an effort by local retail shop owners to start cutting prices.

And to make sure that they do not forget that sales have started, consumers are being bombarded with retail SMS marketing.

It was only recently that Boxing Day began signalling the start of the annual sales, during which shops often offer dramatic price reductions. The name 'Boxing Day' has origins in past tradition, when servants and tradespeople would receive gifts, known as a "Christmas box", from their bosses or employers.

For many shop owners today, Boxing Day is an opportunity to mark the greatest amount of returns while customers look to strike some bargain at their favourite store, spend the extra cash received and maybe finally get hold of some item they had been eyeing for weeks.

Boxing Day in Malta has also become synonymous with the national fund raising event l-Istrina, with a variety of noble causes receiving support through the renowed generosity of the Maltese donors.