Friday's headlines: German couple beaten in their tent early on Boxing Day; Young Person of the Year series in Waikato; retailers struggling to compete with cheaper overseas sites.
NZ Herald
The New Zealand Herald says retailers are struggling to compete with overseas sites - and a survey has shown 40% of New Zealanders believe GST should be charged on all purchases made on foreign shopping websites.
Kiwis flocked to the shops for the annual Boxing Day sales - but many are increasingly buying cheaper online from overseas.
Dominion Post
The Dominion Post calls the Boxing Day sales a, shambles. Some retailers in Lower Hutt were fuming from about 10.30am after a Vodafone glitch shut down their eftpos for hours on the busiest shopping day of the year.
ODT
The Otago Daily Times says the CBD in Dunedin was flooded with shoppers and a conservative estimate put about 27,000 people passing through the Meridian mall.
The Press
The Press reports on the beating of a German couple early on Boxing Day in Whakatane, in Bay of Plenty. It is understood the pair, an 18 year-old woman and a 19 year-old man, were attacked in their tent with wooden bats. Police on Thursday had four people in custody.
The Waikato Times
The Waikato Times is launching the first of a five-part series celebrating Waikato's young people. It culminates on Wednesday when the paper will announce the person it believes qualifies as the Young Person of the Year. The story of teenage lifeguard James Lee is featured on Friday.
