Here’s How Aussies Are Planning To Shop For Christmas Presents This Year

Have you got your shopping done yet?

In the first lockdown-free Christmas since 2019, Australians are heading to the shops for their gift shopping like never before.

Monash Business School’s Australian Consumer and Retail Studies (ACRS) researchers have conducted their third annual investigation into Chrissie shopping habits, and have found we’re coming back from the pandemic in a big way.

This year, it’s all about family, with 90 per cent of shoppers taking to the shops and the web to buy presents for their family, compared with 35 per cent for friends and 30 per cent for extended family.

In a real 'treat yourself' moment, 11 per cent of Australians are planning on getting themselves a present.

Go on, you deserve it.

For our families, Aussies are reportedly planning on spending a whopping average of $379 bucks, meanwhile our mates will only cop an average spend of $133.

The big news this year is how early Aussies are heading to the shops, and where they’re going.

55 per cent of Australians surveyed said they were planning to start getting pressies at least one month or more before Christmas hits, leaving the other 45 per cent to the mad dash to the shops.

And even with the spread of online shopping, 80 per cent of Australians are still planning to buy presents in store.

Of those that are planning on getting something online, 47 per cent are going to be purchasing from the online portal of a physical store, compared to 37 per cent who want to buy from online-only retailers.

Shoppers are set to spend less across a range of gift categories this Christmas, with major drops in interest in clothing, toys, food and beverage, books, personal care items, household items and electronics.

Head researcher on the project Dr Eloise Zoppos says this change can be attributed to financial hardships faced by Aussies this year.

“On the back of months of cost-of-living increases and interest rate rises, it’s no surprise that more shoppers are going to shop at sales events this year compared to 2021.”

In terms of sales, Australians are looking to the big one: Boxing Day.

After 30 per cent of us hit the stores and the sites for Boxing Day last year, 37 per cent are reportedly planning on taking full advantage of Boxing Day sales this time around.

That means Boxing Day remains Australia’s favourite sales day, even with the growth in popularity of Black Friday and Cyber Monday in recent years.

Australians are still being impacted by cost-of-living, inflation, supply chain issues, the eternal COVID and much more, but the Christmas spirit hasn’t died.

“Christmas may be starting earlier than ever, but these sales keep the Christmas spirit going,” Dr Eloise said.