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Shoppers flooded stores to make the most of Boxing Day bargains, proving the enduring appeal of bricks and mortar.
Australians are forecast to spend $1.3 billion on Boxing Day and a further $2.4 billion in the final days of December, according to research by the Australian Retailers Association and Roy Morgan.
Around a million customers were expected to pass through the David Jones website and stores alone.
Crowds were “absolutely packed” at the country’s biggest shopping center in Chadstone, in Melbourne’s east, ARA spokeswoman Alexandra Keefe said.
“Really positive signs, really busy out there and just a very encouraging Boxing Day sales period,” she told AAP.
The year-end sales period became increasingly important for retailers, with Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping contributing ever-larger shares of revenue.
More and more shoppers were hoping for a bargain during the holiday season as cost-of-living pressures continued to weigh on households.
With Christmas presents on the back burner, the Boxing Day sales gave customers a chance to splurge.
“So home and garden items, but also those personal luxury items like beauty, technology and digital are likely to be very popular,” Ms Keefe said.
Shoppers are expected to spend $378 million on household goods, followed by food ($296 million) and clothing, footwear and accessories ($197 million).
The projected 2.7 percent increase in spending compared to the same period last year is really encouraging, Ms. Keefe said.
“We know from some of our research with smaller firms that there is a bit of a sense of hopeful expectation about the future.”
While increased sales have encouraged retailers, the spending boom has prompted environmental warnings.
Australians have spent more than $1 billion buying Christmas presents this year that won’t be used, the Australia Institute has found.
The survey of more than 1,000 Australians revealed that almost half didn’t think about how the gifts they bought for others would be disposed of, while 52 per cent would prefer if others didn’t buy them a gift.
“Australia’s bins are full of unnecessary extra waste this Boxing Day,” said Nina Gbor, director of the think tank’s circular economy and waste program.
“Embracing circular economy principles over the linear take-make-waste model can help bring deeper meaning to Christmas.”
A study by online e-commerce giant eBay has predicted that Australians could make nearly $1 billion from selling unwanted gifts this holiday season.
The study did not specify whether this figure was before or after the platforms got their beaks wet with seller fees.
“Not every gift brings joy to the recipient, but that doesn’t mean it can’t bring happiness to someone else,” eBay Australia’s Zanny Abbott said.
But with more Australians buying online, the Australian Banking Association is warning bargain hunters to watch out for scams.
“We all love a bargain, but it’s important that buyers don’t end up getting more than they bargained for,” said association executive director Anna Bligh.
“The scammers are out in force.
“They will use every trick in the book to fool buyers, including the use of dodgy websites mimicking legitimate brands to fake parcel notifications sent via SMS.”
Australian banks take measures to protect consumers, including actively blocking transfers to known fraudulent accounts.
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