- 53% of Australians finalise their holiday shopping lists by October, a number that jumps to 70% for those with kids living at home.
- 29% of Australians will do their festive shopping in November, the single busiest month, and 58% of Australians will have done most of their holiday shopping by the end of the month.
- Australians shopping online tend to plan and shop earlier than those who will do the majority of their festive shopping in store.
Australians stuck in a prolonged cost-of-living crunch are starting their festive shopping increasingly early. Most plan to finalise their shopping lists by October (53%) and do the bulk of their shopping by November (58%), new research from Shopify has revealed. This trend is more pronounced for Australians with children living at home, with 70% finalising lists by October and 68% having done the bulk of their shopping by the end of November.
Shopify surveyed 2,000 Australian consumers ahead of this year's Black Friday-Cyber Monday (BFCM) sales, which once again projects to be a frenzy for consumers and retailers alike. Almost half (49%) of Australian consumers intend to do the majority of their holiday shopping that weekend (29 November to 2 December).
The majority of Australians (56%) plan to set a "clear" spending budget, however 36% of Australians say they usually exceed their festive shopping budget.
The biggest spenders this year project to be people that "cherish" the festive shopping season, comprising 9% of respondents. In second place are people with children living at home, who project to spend more than 2x as much as those with no kids or with kids that live out of home. It wouldn't be a festive season without a grinch, a small minority of Aussies (10%) who "can't stand" the holiday season and project to be the lowest spenders.
"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, Chief Executive Officer at the Australian Retailers Association. "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."
Communicating deals to customers earlier helps retailers reach busy shoppers. While 39% of Australians have signed up to brand updates to get the best deals this BFCM, this flips to a majority for those looking to spend more than $430 (65%), young people 25-34 (57%), and parents with kids living at home (56%).
"Merchants need to strategise around a longer sales season, as consumer behaviour shifts towards conscientious planning and away from spontaneity," said Shaun Broughton, managing director JAPAC at Shopify. "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. 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."
Key findings from Shopify's latest research also reveal:
Value for money along with a personal touch is key for Australian shoppers
- Nearly a third (31%) of Australian shoppers are exclusively shopping for items at a reduced price or with a discount code. But in the vein of mindful shopping, a personal touch is also important, with 26% going to friends and family for authentic recommendations.
Many are satisfied with deals, but buyers remorse hits one in five
- Sales and offers are highly valued, with 45% feeling satisfied with their ability to take advantage of deals, and 27% feeling they can buy higher quality items thanks to sales.
- However, a quarter (24%) experience the January buyer's remorse, feeling surprised by how much they've spent when they add it all up. What's more, 16% find the start of the year harder due to their spending, while 14% decide ignorance is bliss - they don't even look as they'd rather not know. A minority of 6% return or sell items they received or purchased to make some money back.
Hybrid shopping experiences are vital, according to consumers
- A hybrid approach to shopping is popular, with 63% buying small things online but going into stores for larger purchases. With 66% also searching for items online and then going in-store to get them, it demonstrates the need for Australian businesses to ensure a unified and consistent offering across commerce channels.
- Almost two in five (38%) consumers plan to evenly split their shopping online and offline, further creating a demand for unified commerce. Meanwhile 23% plan to do the bulk of their spending online, while 31% expect to do so in-store, rising to 37% of spontaneous purchasers - suggesting that brick-and-mortar merchants could benefit from offering in-store deals to this group.
Shoppers want practical technology-enabled experiences like price comparison tools, free returns and real-time tracking
- When it comes to features and technology, shoppers said they'd be most interested in practical tools that can help them save money or time - with price comparisons the most used over the last twelve months at 36%. This is followed by mobile apps at 27% and real-time order tracking at 25%.
- Fewer shoppers say they're using innovative or emerging features like chatbots (6%), spatial commerce (5%), or virtual or augmented reality (5%), though this rises significantly among the youngest generation (18-24), at 13%, 11%, and 14% respectively using each of these tools.
Family members far outpace celebrities when it comes to festive influence
- When it comes to festive holiday shopping, families hold the most sway over shoppers, with 46% of Australians saying they are one of the top three ways decisions are made - significantly more than celebrities or influencers at 7%.
- Meanwhile, people's mood at the time of shopping plays a key role for one in three people (35%) as well as friends (35%) - more so than partners (25%).The role of different influences correlates with interest in the shopping seasons itself - those who cherish the holiday shopping experience note more influences like the above on their decision, while 52% of those who can't stand it claim nothing influences them.
About the study
Online survey conducted by Sapio Research, on behalf of Shopify, among 18,000 consumers across Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the UK and the US. The survey took place in August 2023.
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