By Paul Dunlop
CHRISTMAS may still be about half a year away but Santa’s little helpers are already working hard in Pakenham.
Toy sales have prompted hundreds of eager shoppers to rush out and stock up on presents in a bid to beat the festive season rush.
Target’s ‘Australia’s Biggest Toy Sale’ started last week following similar sales at Toyworld and Toy Kingdom.
Shoppers, many with young children in tow, queued for up to an hour as they waited with laden shopping trolleys to purchase or layby their goods.
One Pakenham woman contacted the Gazette to express concern that not all of the toys at Target had been discounted.
Others were just happy to have their Christmas list already ticked off in July.
A large crowd had gathered well before Target’s doors opened at 8am last Thursday.
Long serving Target employee Luis Gonzales said he had never seen anything like it.
It’s been flat out right from the word go,” Mr Gonzales said.
“I’ve been here since the day the store opened and it’s getting bigger every year. It would be right up there with the busiest days ever.”
Mr Gonzales said the shopping centre foyer was “a sea of people” before the shop opened.
A countdown helped shoppers get into the sale spirit, and then the rush was on.
“It was like a stampede,” Mr Gonzales said of the opening minutes.
Trays of complimentary lollies and screenings of Harry Potter kept children entertained as their mums and dads waited in line to make purchases or put items on layby.
Pakenham mum Stacey Rouse and her twoyearold daughter Ella were among the shoppers who got in early.
“It’s mayhem,” she said, emerging about 9am with an armful of gifts for Ella’s birthday in August.
“I knew exactly what I wanted to get so I was in and out pretty quick.”
Like many shoppers, Mrs Rouse had received the sale catalogue in the mail and had studied it carefully.
It was tempting to overspend, she said, but it also meant some of the pressure would be off come December.
“By the time Christmas comes, you’re buying everything else as well,” she said.
Jennifer Worona was another Pakenham shopper who had set herself for a big day.
Besides a trolleyfull of toys for her two daughters, sixyearold Madison, and sevenyearold Courtney, Mrs Worona had also bought a couple of paperback novels for herself.
“I came looking during the week with the kids,” she said.
“You’ve got to be organised on a day like this.”
Sandra Evans of Toyworld said the store had also had a very busy day last Thursday, following a successful sale during June.
“It was a huge day for us,” she said.
Of course, those who missed out on the preChristmas rush should not entirely despair.
There are still 157 days to go.
