The traditional Boxing Day sales frenzy, once a staple of the Australian holiday season, has been decisively overtaken by the Black Friday shopping event. New research reveals a significant shift in consumer behaviour, with more shoppers planning their purchases earlier and spending more during the November sales.
The Data Behind the Shopping Shift
According to the Monash Business School's annual Christmas & Seasonal Retail Trends Report, a clear trend has emerged. The report found that almost two-thirds (65 per cent) of Australian shoppers intend to make purchases during sales events in November and December.
Lead author Stephanie Atto, Research and Strategy Director at ACRS, highlighted the change. "Aussie shoppers are becoming increasingly savvy and are using sales events to their benefit," she said. Historically, nearly half of shoppers began their Christmas shopping less than a month before the holiday. However, this year marks a pivot, with almost half (47 per cent) starting one to three months in advance to align with Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
The figures are stark: 46 per cent of sales-event shoppers plan to buy during Black Friday this year, a notable jump from 38 per cent in 2024. In contrast, just over a third (35 per cent) plan to shop on Boxing Day, a figure that has remained steady since 2022.
Spending More, Shopping Earlier
The shift isn't just about timing; it's also about budget. The Monash report indicates that shoppers who set a budget plan to spend significantly more during Black Friday. The average Black Friday budget is $496, compared to an average Boxing Day budget of $402.
Professor Robert Crawford from RMIT University notes that Boxing Day sales peaked in the early 1990s, a time when physical rushes into stores sometimes led to injuries. He attributes Black Friday's rapid growth to its strategic timing. "Large discounts and the convenience of shopping online have certainly helped Black Friday's rapid growth," he wrote. "However, its real advantage is timing. Shoppers not only use these sales for themselves, they can do their Christmas shopping at the same time."
A Nostalgic Look at Wollongong's Boxing Day Past
While the national trend is clear, the change is felt keenly in local shopping hubs. In Wollongong, the Boxing Day sales were once a major event. Shoppers would queue up early in the morning outside major retailers like Wollongong Central, Myer, and David Jones, eager to secure the best 'door buster' bargains the moment stores opened.
That vibrant, in-person spectacle has diminished as the retail calendar has been reshaped by the imported Black Friday phenomenon. The challenge for Australian retailers now, as Professor Crawford suggests, is not to compete directly with Black Friday but to reinvent the Boxing Day sales tradition for a new era of consumer habits.
"Of course, Boxing Day sales are not dead," the analysis concludes. "Wherever there are bargains to be had, there will always be shoppers ready to buy. Maybe it's time to bring back the door buster bargains." The evolution from crowded mall entrances to online checkout pages marks a definitive new chapter in Australia's retail history.
