Retailers were optimistic of good - and even unprecedented - Boxing Day sales in Canberra despite the spectre of an impending downturn forced by public service cuts.
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But it remains to be seen if the sheer numbers who were out looking for a bargain in the national capital on Thursday actually loosened their pursestrings and spent up big.
The epicentre of retailing in the ACT - the Canberra Centre - was packed by lunchtime with lines out the door at luxury goods outlets Oroton and Swarovski, as security guards let in shoppers one lot at a time.
Savvy shopper Ron Villero, of Harrison, was prepared to wait to get into Oroton, wanting to buy a clutch for his wife that she had spied on Christmas Eve.
"We decided to wait for the sales and I'm glad I did because it's an extra 20 per cent off," he said.
Tijana Kljaic, of Duffy, waited to get into Swarovski to buy a half-priced bracelet for herself.
She said it was one of the few stores offering genuine discounts.
"Other shops? False advertising. Who do they think we are?" she said.
After the spending-on-others frenzy of Christmas, many shoppers just wanted to indulge themselves.
Palmerston sisters Elizabeth and Victoria Notting had within their first hour of shopping spent $300 on gym wear from Lorna Jane, pyjamas from Peter Alexander and dresses for New Year's Eve from Forever New.
"Christmas is over. It's about us now," Elizabeth, 22, said.
Hamperesque director Louise Curtis, of Deakin, was also out shopping with her sister, Allison Henry of Sydney.
Mrs Curtis scored a half-priced handbag at Oroton for $147 and four beach towels at Country Road for $100.
"We've only just started," she said, with a laugh.
"I'm trying to be resistant. We'll see how we go," Ms Henry said.
The Morey family of Chisholm - Louise, Grant, Emily (4) and Will (2) - had a trolley-load of goods including Peppa Pig merchandise for the kids and half-priced sheets.
"Lots of kids' stuff and Grandma's birthday is tomorrow so we always spoil her," Mrs Morey said.
"The kids get money from their grandparents for Christmas so we go out and buy things for them."
David Jones ACT/NSW South regional manager Jason James was confident the Canberra Centre store would have its biggest Boxing Day sales result yet, not least because trading hours has been extended further for the sales, including to midnight on Friday and 9pm on Saturday.
"From what we've seen today, it's going to be huge," he said.
"This is going to be one of our biggest clearances, there are millions of offers. It's going to be a bigger clearance than we've ever done before."
Mr James said women's wear, men's wear and homewares were popular on Boxing Day.
He said the multi-million dollar revamp of the David Jones store in the Canberra Centre was also having an impact.
"The customer reaction to our new build in the store has been amazing and the increase in the foot traffic has been noticeable," he said.
Canberra Centre Myer store manager Brea Burland said Boxing Day was always the biggest trading day of the year for the store and he was confident it would be again this year.
"We opened at seven this morning and crowds were very good," Mr Burland said.
"The customer who comes in at this time of year is after a good value bargain and it’s right through the store. Our best departments today are our fashion, our homewares and our intimate apparel."
Neither store was revealing any likely sales figures.
"I'm very confident it will be our biggest trading day again this year. It’s very pleasing to see the crowds in the store," Mr Burland said.
"At this stage, I can’t say it will be better [than last year) but we’re very confident in the way the day is going."
Myer also has extended trading hours, opening 9am to 9pm on Friday and 8am to 7pm on Saturday.
The car parks at Westfield Woden and Westfield Belconnen were full by mid-morning, according to store manager Karen Skinner.
"We had crowds out very early, particularly in Belconnen," she said.
"Electronics were very popular, with lines outside JB Hi-Fi and Dick Smith. "Fashion was also popular."
Mrs Skinner said that, looking at hourly traffic, the sales crowds seemed to be marginally better than last year.
"Which is really positive considering all the negative talk that has been in the media," she said.
And for some, mainly blokes, the chairs at the Canberra Centre were a welcome respite from the shopping hordes and a chance to even catch a Boxing Day nap.
