Boxing Day is Australia’s answer to Black Friday, the largest shopping day after Christmas. Big discounts, exciting promotions and great deals on fashion, technology, homewares, holidays and electronics are what locals wait for all year round. As a select number of shopping centres are open during Boxing Day, shoppers and mall goers are usually gathered in the same area. Private vehicles are the predominant mode of transport to and from this once in a year bargain day, largely due to its convenience. Alternatives such as hailing a taxi becomes a challenge due to high demand and public transport limits purchases to what you can carry. But where are you going to park? If parking on regular days is already difficult, how do you find that perfect Boxing Day parking spot for you?

Whether you’re a Boxing Day shopaholic or a first timer, this simple Boxing Day parking guide seeks to help make the day enjoyable, with information on trading hours, parking facilities and alternative practical and affordable parking options.

Who’s open?

Each year, major shopping centres open on Boxing Day, often with different business hours than usual. Some open as early as 5AM and others stay the late night shift, closing at 11PM. Check out which shopping areas in Sydney are open on the 26th of December.

    SYDNEY CBD

• Pitt Street Mall – 7AM to 9PM
• The Strand Arcade – 9AM to 6PM
• The Galeries – 9AM to 6PM
• Westfield Sydney – 7AM to 9PM
• Queen Victoria Building (QVB) – 9AM to 6PM
• Mid City Shopping Centre – 8AM to 9PM

    CHATSWOOD

• Chatswood Chase – 9AM to 5PM
• Westfield Chatswood – 8AM to 6PM

    BONDI JUNCTION

• Westfield Bondi Junction – 7AM to 9PM
• Eastgate Bondi Junction – 8AM to 8PM

    PARRAMATTA

• Westfield Parramatta – 7AM to 9PM

    MACQUARIE

• Macquarie Centre – 8AM to 6PM

    BROOKVALE

• Westfield Warringah Mall – 8AM to 6PM

    HOMEBUSH

• Direct Factory Outlets (DFO) – 8AM to 8PM

Please note that tenants and selective shops may have different trading hours on Boxing Day than that of the mall itself. It is best to check their websites or speak to them directly for more details.

Where to park?

It is important to know where your parking options are on Boxing Day. Parking spaces on offer are often within the mall premises. Based on the above-mentioned shopping centres’ websites, we’ve gathered useful parking information for a less stressful shopping experience on the biggest shopping sale of the year.

Please note that all information about parking offered by these shopping centres were based on their websites. Parking fees and availability may change. It is recommended to check their websites for any updates regarding parking.

Pitt Street Mall is one of the busiest pedestrian malls in Sydney central business district. Because it is, in itself, a street, it does not have a dedicated parking area. The same applies for Mid City Shopping Centre, The Strand Arcade and The Galeries, all of which are situated along Pitt Street. These shopping centres offer third party parking spaces located nearby.

Westfield Sydney offers valet parking, accessible via King Street. Parking opens at 6AM with parking fees starting from $29 an hour, to $80 for 8 hours above. Queen Victoria Building, normally referred to as QVB, has their own parking facility and is open with a special holiday fee of $7 for the first hour to a maximum of $25 for the day.

Chatswood Chase offers valet parking for $12 per hour. The first 3 hours are free. Westfield Chatswood also offers free parking for the first 3 hours, charging $7 for the fourth hour with a maximum fee of $50 for 7 hours and up for both regular and ticketless parking.

Similar to that of Chatswood, Westfield Bondi Junction operates a ticketless parking system, offering free parking up to 2 hours only. The succeeding hour costs $8 up to $45 on the seventh hour. While at Eastgate Bondi Junction , parking fee starts at $1 up to $35 for 5 hours.

The Macquarie Centre in North Ryde has its own parking facility, with the first three hours free of charge. There is a minimum of $6 parking fee for the next 30 minutes and a maximum daily charge of $45 for self parking. Valet parking fees start at $10.

Warringah Mall offers their own parking solutions, similarly to Macquarie Centre, with the first three hours free and a maximum full day cost of $26. DFO in Homebush has its own large parking facility, offering the first two hours free. Anything above a 6-hour stay is considered to be the daily rate, costing $40.

Alternatives?

Parking your ride within mall premises is ideal. You do not have to walk far with heavy shopping bags to reach your car. However, due to the convenience and consequent popularity of these facilities, the wait for an available spot is extremely high. Whilst there may be some other parking facilities available offered by third parties, these are often a little more expensive with a full day (7.0hrs +) costing around $80. There is also the chance that these alternatives are closed on Boxing Day, as it is a public holiday.

An alternative option, both affordable and convenient, is the parking sharing platform, Parkhound. Parkhound is a community marketplace, joining people with spaces with those who seek a cost-effective, hassle-free parking solution. Parkhound offers both long and short-term parking options for a fraction of the price. All you need to do is book your parking space online in advance, choose from the list of carports, driveways and garages open 24hrs a day. For parking near Macquarie Centre, day-rates cost approximately $12. If you would like a little extra shopping funds or would like to support your community of shoppers, rent your space on the Parkhound platform for free.

It’s just a few days to go before the biggest shopping day of the year. The shopping frenzy you have been waiting for to finally replace the old dishwasher or purchase the new gadget everyone in the office is talking about, is just a week away. If you need a little extra space to make room for your new purchases, Spacer can offer affordable and convenient storage solutions for the new year. Check out our website for spaces in your area.

We hope you find a parking space that will fit your needs so you can enjoy the holidays to the fullest.

Have a very Merry Christmas, from all of us here at Spacer!

Source(s):

Boxing Day Sales 2017, https://www.finder.com.au/boxing-day-sales

What’s Open and When this Christmas, http://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/whats-open-and-when-this-christmas/news-story/fd546d5889d0923df82dbd20e1981b2a