Shoppers expected to spend $1.3b on Boxing Day as crowds flock to malls
Shoppers lined up for a bargain on Pitt Street in Sydney on Boxing Day. (AAP Image: Steven Saphore)
In short:
Despite cost-of-living pressures, shoppers are expected to spend big over the Boxing Day sales.
Black Friday sales spending is beginning to overtake Boxing Day.
Consumer group Choice has warned would-be buyers to be wary of "dud deals".
Australians are expected to set a new Boxing Day sales record despite cost-of-living pressures, according to the peak retail association, as shoppers crowd the country's major malls.
In Adelaide's Rundle Mall, Brett said the spending in the lead-up to Christmas hadn't stopped him from hitting the shops.
"We go hell for leather … all out," he said.
Brett says he prioritises Boxing Day over other sale periods because he feels more stores particpate. (ABC News)
For Isaac, it's simply the Christmas money burning a hole in his pocket.
"When you're working and you're not making a whole load, you just spend money wherever you can, and on cheap [items] when you can find stuff," he said.
Boxing Day crowds at Brisbane's Queen Street Mall. (ABC News)
In Brisbane's Queen Street Mall, Summer waited in line for 40 minutes to get into a popular skincare store.
She said the cost of living had made an impact on how much they intended to spend.
"Fuel to get here is insane. Then finding a car park, paying for it."
Summer and Finn are looking for Boxing Day bargains in Brisbane.
A total of $1.3 billion is expected to be spent on Boxing Day itself, an almost 2 per cent increase on last year's spending figures, data from the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) shows.
For the six days following Christmas, it is expected shoppers will spend $3.7 billion across that period, which is 2.7 per cent more than last year.
ARA chief industry affairs officer Fleur Brown said shoppers saved up all year for events such as the Boxing Day sales.
"It's really because of cost-of-living challenges that we're seeing shoppers out in force today," she said.
She said shoppers are drawn to the sales events for different reasons, with many using the Black Friday sales to hunt for bargain Christmas gifts.
Fleur Brown is the chief industry affairs officer at the Australian Retailers Association. (ABC News)
"Bargain hunting is a national sport, it seems," said Ms Brown.
In the west, shoppers in Perth enjoyed cooler weather and smaller crowds than in previous years.
Breanna Pinelli was surprised there were not more people hitting the shops in Perth. (ABC News: Phoebe Pin)
Breanna Pinelli has been a regular Boxing Day shopper since about 2015, and said she was surprised to be one of the few waiting for shops to open.
"This is very quiet," she said.
"I think the last few years it's gone down in numbers, but I expected a few more than just me."
Eugene Marshall said he spent a little more than planned.
"Budgets don't mean very much on Boxing Day," he said.
"I was planning to spend $200 to $300, and I ended up spending double that … It's also not just for myself, it's for my friends and family, too."
Eugene Marshall says he spent twice as much as he expected to. (ABC News: Phoebe Pin)
A sales rival emerges
The Boxing Day sales are a time when shoppers generally spend money on themselves, with food, household goods, clothing and footwear expected to make up the bulk of purchases.
Park Thaichonm, an associate professor at the University of Southern Queensland, said the continued growth in spending represents a slow return to normal.
"We're definitely seeing that the trend of customer spending is recovering compared to the COVID period. People have some more money to spend and they know what to expect compared to a few years ago."
Black Friday sales on the last weekend of November now rival Boxing Day in Australia. (ABC News: Daniel Irvine)
However, while it was once the major shopping event of the year, Boxing Day sales are losing their position against an imported rival.
Like Halloween, the Black Friday sales, which fall on the last weekend of November, have become more ingrained in Australia in recent years and now rival Boxing Day.
This year, spending over the Black Friday sales period was up by 4 per cent on last year's $8.7 billion figure, according to NAB.
Data from the Australia Bureau of Statistics shows retail spending was higher in November than December last year.
Make a list, check it twice
Consumer advocacy group Choice has warned those entering the Boxing Day fray to do their homework first.
Director of campaigns Rosie Thomas said it pays to be critical of discount claims and to arrive with a list of products you're looking for.
"Just because something is on discount doesn't mean it's the best deal around. It's a good idea to look at the prices online at other stores."
Ms Thomas said the most popular products at this time of year are televisions, air fryers, stick vacuums and robot vacuums.
"For all of these there are potential great deals, but make sure that you are genuinely getting a deal and not getting caught up in the Boxing Day hype."
Ms Thomas also warned consumers to avoid a "dud deal".
"Often these are things that have performed very poorly in our testing and it's important to remember that price is not always a good indicator of quality.
"It is possible that consumers are not saving as much as they think they are. That's why it's so important to do your research, compare prices online and make sure that the prices you're paying really do represent good value."