Most Aussies plan to finalise holiday shopping lists this month

Celene Ignacio

10th Oct 2024

The majority of Australians have finalised their holiday shopping lists by this month, according to new research by Shopify.

Shopify surveyed 2000 Australian consumers ahead of the Black Friday-Cyber Monday sales and found that 49 per cent plan to do most of their holiday shopping from November 29 to December 2.

The research also shows that 53 per cent of Australians finalise their holiday shopping lists by October, a rate that rises to 70 per cent for those with kids at home.

Meanwhile, 29 per cent intend to shop for the holidays in November, with 58 per cent having completed most of their holiday shopping by the end of the month.

“The ongoing hit to discretionary spending means consumers are being extremely strategic with their dollars, a reality reflected both at the till and in Shopify’s data,” said Paul Zahra, CEO at the Australian Retailers Association (ARA).

“Many discretionary retailers make the majority of their profits during the festive shopping season, but this evolution in consumer habits means they need to adapt how and when they prepare for an earlier gift purchasing period, accommodating customers who are searching for the best deals much earlier.”

The research revealed that shoppers want practical technology-enabled experiences such as price comparison tools, free returns and real-time tracking.

“We’ve observed that Australians planning to do the majority of their shopping online tend to start the process earlier than those planning to do it in store,” said Shaun Broughton, MD JAPAC at Shopify.

“Understanding when certain types of consumers will be planning and shopping can help retailers decide how to best communicate with their customers, manage operations and plan merchandising to maximise the festive shopping opportunity.”