Record 2015 Boxing Day sales - ARA

AUSTRALIAN shoppers were out in force at Boxing Day retail sales yesterday, with around $2.3 billion expected to have gone through registers across the country as part of the annual Boxing Day sales event, according to the Australian Retailers Association (ARA).

Russell Zimmerman, ARA Executive Director, said retailers across the country were inundated with shoppers, with some keen shoppers forming queues in anticipation of the discounts from very early morning.

“This year’s Boxing Day crowds certainly did not disappoint, and if anything, were larger than previous years,” Mr Zimmerman said of consumer participation.

“Judging from the number of people in stores and our prediction of $2.3 billion in purchases nationally, I think we’ll be looking at a record Boxing Day in 2015 in terms of sales.

“We anticipate this sales momentum will continue for the next two weeks or more, with the ARA and Roy Morgan Research expecting that Australian consumers will make retail purchases to the tune of $16.8 billion from December 26 to January 15,” he said.

“Boxing Day is traditionally known as the biggest sale day of the year, and while physical stores are the focus for many, online stores will also have seen an uptick in consumer activity for both Boxing Day and right throughout the post-Christmas sales period.”

Categories tipped to enjoy the biggest increases in year on year sales in the next three weeks according the ARA and Roy Morgan will be ‘other’ at 6.1 percent growth, and ‘department stores’ at 4.3 percent.

On a state basis, Victoria will be the big winner, with year on year growth of 5.6 percent growth for the period encompassing December 26 to January 15.

“South Australia will have experienced relatively lower sales at $115 million on Boxing Day because of the retail trading ban in metropolitan areas which only allows CBD stores to open,” Mr Zimmerman said.

ARA ROY MORGAN POST-CHRISTMAS 2015/16 SALES PREDICTIONS

December 26, 2015 – January 15, 2016

 

Boxing Day 2015 sales

State	2015
NSW	$749,920,990
Victoria	$721,077,875
Queensland	$387,135,233
South Australia	$115,752,881
Western Australia	$200,878,807
Tasmania	$51,818,336
Northern Territory	$25,947,127
Australian Capital Territory	$48,957,876
NATIONAL	$2,301,489,127

(Australian Retailers Association)

2015/16 Post-Christmas Sales Growth by State

State	2014 post-xmas Actual ($mil)		2015/16 post-xmas Forecast ($mil)	Predicted growth (%)
NSW	5127	5321		3.8%
Victoria	3997	4220		5.6%
Queensland	3309	3419		3.3%
South Australia	1049	1083		3.3%
Western Australia	1877	1943		3.5%
Tasmania	316	324		2.6%
Northern Territory	172	176		2.1%
Australian Capital Territory	288	295		2.6%
NATIONAL	16135	16781		4.0%

(ARA/ROY MORGAN)

2015/16 Post-Christmas Sales Growth by Category

Category	2014 pre-xmas Actual ($mil)	2015/16 pre-xmas Forecast ($mil)	Predicted growth (%)
Food	6593	6815	3.4%
Household goods	2796	2905	3.9%
Apparel	1243	1291	3.9%
Department stores	1042	1087	4.3%
Other	2192	2326	6.1%
Hospitality	2269	2357	3.9%
NATIONAL	16135	16781	4.0%

(ARA/ROY MORGAN)

About the Australian Retailers Association:

Founded in 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is the retail industry’s peak representative body representing Australia’s $284 billion sector, which employs more than 1.2 million people. The ARA works to ensure retail success by informing, protecting, advocating, educating and saving money for its 5,000 independent and national retail members throughout Australia.

For more information, visit www.retail.org.au or call 1300 368 041.

ENDS