Bargain hunters flocked to city malls around Australia in a shopping frenzy tipped to eclipse last year's Boxing Day sales.
Shoppers were expected to have forked out a massive $2.19 billion by close of business on Saturday - up $146 million from Boxing Day 2014.
Low interest rates were thought to be behind the buying blitz, as well as the poor Aussie dollar driving customers to spend locally, rather than online.
"We're seeing an electric atmosphere with more and more shoppers coming in store to purchase items that are on sale," National Retail Association legal director Dominique Lamb said.
Hundreds of thousands of people descended on retail centres around the nation to take advantage of the heavily discounted stock.
In Sydney and Melbourne, people queued through the night to be the first through the doors of retail giants Myer and David Jones at 5am.
NSW shoppers were expected to out-spend those in other states and hand a massive $713 million to retailers on Saturday.
It was the first time in seven years that department stores outside Sydney and Bondi were allowed to open on December 26.
The NRA tipped Victorians and Queenslanders to also give their credit cards a workout to the tune of $685 million and $368 million respectively.
Among the thousands who took advantage of the sales in Brisbane's Queen St Mall on Saturday was New Zealand expat Colin Pope.
Mr Pope's prize purchase was a hoverboard marked down from $800 to $499.
"I'm trying to be a little bit strategic with spending, and taking advantage of sales, which I've definitely been successful with today," Mr Pope told AAP.
Meanwhile, Brisbane resident Rebecca Podmore spent up big on work clothes.
"I got a year's worth of shopping done in one day," she said.
Australians show no sign of putting their credit cards away, with the Australian Retailers Association predicting $17 billion to pour into retail coffers over the next three weeks.
Boxing Day retail sales projections: (millions)
NSW - $713
Vic - $685
Qld - $368
SA - $110
WA - $191
Tas - $49
NT - $24
ACT - $46.6
Aus total - $2188 ($2.19 billion)
Source: National Retail Association
