Throughout the year Melbourne man John Boruch collected $1 and $2 coins to fund his family’s Christmas Eve feast.
Boruch, who arrived at Queen Victoria Market on Friday morning dressed in a reindeer headband, planned to spend $1500 to $2000 on fresh seafood for his family’s celebration.
As always, prawns are in high demand this Christmas.Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui
It’s a European tradition, he said, and one item must be on the table.
“It’s got to be fish,” he said.
Crowds heaved at the market on Friday, and chief executive Meg Dalla Lana was optimistic patronage had returned to pre-COVID levels.
In the seafood hall, prawns and oysters were among the top-selling fare, as well as crayfish.
John Boruch was planning to spend big for his family’s Christmas Eve feast.Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui
Deep Blue Seafoods fishmonger Angelo Christopoulos found a spare minute to tell The Age: “We’re flat out!”
Altona mother and daughter Paula and Meagan Carlesso bought small amounts of prawns to taste test from different vendors before choosing their favourites for their Christmas Day lunch.
They are expecting up to 20 family members around the table.
“My job is to bring the seafood, and I get about 5 kilograms of prawns,” Paula said.
Queen Victoria Market fishmonger Michael Azzopardi. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui
Vendor Michael Azzopardi said Friday was “busier than the last few years for sure”, but he was preparing for even bigger crowds come Christmas Eve on Saturday morning.
The frenzy came despite rising food prices. The latest CPI figures show a 3.2 per cent increase in the cost of food and non-alcoholic beverages in the September quarter.
Despite the state of the economy, Melbourne’s suburban shopping centres were also doing a brisk trade on Friday morning as they entered the final 28-hour retail push.
Last-gasp shoppers could search for the perfect gifts until midnight on Friday at Chadstone and Eastland shopping centres, and until 2am at Highpoint.
Shoppers at Chadstone earlier this month.Credit:Joe Armao
The Australian Retail Association and market research group Roy Morgan expected Victorians to shell out more than $17 billion between November 14 and Christmas Day.
Association chief executive Paul Zahra said many people were indulging in “freedom spending” after a tough year, “where people reward themselves after an intense and challenging period”.
Chadstone centre manager Daniel Boyle was expecting 200,000 people through the doors over the two days before Christmas.
“It’s not unusual for people to sometimes leave their shopping to the last minute, and that’s certainly what we’re seeing this year,” Boyle said.
Yabbies at Prahran Market.Credit:Wayne Taylor
“We see a lot of activity in the tech space and people buying apparel … certainly fragrance is always very popular.”
Shoppers did not seem deterred by the latest COVID wave, Boyle said, but people were planning their trips to the centre.
“What we’re seeing is that people are well-planned … people are shopping with purpose,” he said.
“Christmas extended trading hours provide a great opportunity for people to come in and shop early, or shop a little bit later to avoid those crowds in the peak of the day.”
More than 1.2 million people have poured through Highpoint since the start of December.
The tally for the final week before Christmas is expected to reach 500,000.
Most shopping centres will wind up Christmas trading between 5pm and 6pm on Saturday. The Emporium in Melbourne’s CBD will be a saviour for last-minute shoppers, until 7pm.
Christmas 2022 trading hours
Chadstone Shopping Centre
Friday, December 23: closes midnight
Saturday, December 24: 8am–6pm
Sunday, Christmas Day: closed
Monday, Boxing Day: 6am-11pm
Highpoint Shopping Centre
Friday, December 23: closes 2am
Saturday, December 24: 8am-6pm
Sunday, Christmas Day: closed
Monday, Boxing Day: 8am-11pm
Eastland Shopping Centre
Friday, December 23: closes midnight
Saturday, December 24: 8am-5.30pm (fresh food from 7am)
Sunday, Christmas Day: closed
Monday, Boxing Day: 8am-7pm
Southland Shopping Centre
Friday, December 23: closes midnight
Saturday, December 24: 8am-5pm (fresh food from 7am)
Sunday, Christmas Day: closed
Monday, Boxing Day: 8am-7pm
Melbourne Central
Friday, December 23: closes 9pm
Saturday, December 24: 10am-5pm
Sunday, Christmas Day: closed
Monday, Boxing Day: 8am-9pm
Emporium
Friday, December 23: closes 9pm
Saturday, December 24: 9am-7pm
Sunday, Christmas Day: closed
Monday, Boxing Day: 8am-9pm
Preston Market
Saturday, December 24: 8am-3pm
Sunday, Christmas Day: closed
Monday, Boxing Day: closed
Prahran Market
Saturday, December 24: 6am-5pm
Sunday, Christmas Day: closed
Monday, Boxing Day: closed
Queen Victoria Market
Saturday, December 24: 5am until sold out
Sunday, Christmas Day: closed
Monday, Boxing Day: closed
South Melbourne Market
Saturday, December 24: 6am-4pm
Sunday, Christmas Day: closed
Monday, Boxing Day: closed
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