More Aussies plan to shop on Black Friday, Cyber Monday this year

Celene Ignacio

22nd Nov 2024

More Australians are planning to buy during Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year compared to last year, a survey shows.

ShopFully surveyed 836 Australian consumers in October and found that 39.35 per cent of them plan to shop Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year, up from 32.4 per cent last year.

Meanwhile, 31.82 per cent are still undecided, a slight decrease from 43.9 per cent a year ago.

In terms of channels, 52.74 per cent intend to shop across both online and in-store channels, while 33.89 per cent said they will shop in-store only.

Apparel and accessories emerged as the most popular category for spending, followed by electronics and gadgets, home decor and appliances.

“Although cautious, Aussies won’t shy away from Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with forecasts projecting a record $6.7 billion to be spent over the four days,” said Brendan Straw, ShopFully Australia country manager.

“This reflects potentially more solidified shopping plans as economic pressures encourage pre-planning, underscoring a practical, savings-focused approach to seasonal spending. To make the most of this year’s deals, shoppers should consider planning ahead to secure the best discounts.”

Concurrently, the majority of Australian small businesses feel pressure to compete with big businesses on Black Friday sales.

Xero surveyed 551 Australian small businesses and found that 60 per cent agreed there is pressure to compete with big businesses, while 29 per cent said they are not planning to take part this year as they cannot afford to give discounts.

About 25 per cent said they are unsure if they will participate in the event this year.

Aside from affordability, the survey found that the topmost concerns of small businesses for not taking part are not having enough inventory, difficulty in logistics, and that discounts negatively impact profit margins.

“Twoobs doesn’t participate in Black Friday because we believe that major sales events like Black
Friday are contributing to overconsumption culture,” said Jess and Stef Dadon, founder of Twoobs, a Melbourne-based sustainable footwear retailer.

“We’ll be using our social media channels over the Black Friday period to ignite thoughtful conversation
about what overconsumption means for our planet and to educate and inspire consumers and other brands.”

Meanwhile, the research also showed that the respondents who will participate in the sales hope to reach new customers, build loyalty with existing customers, and meet customer demand.