Boxing Day all wrapped up for 2017

WITH crowds of consumers flooding in-store and website traffic peaking to its highest this year, Boxing Day proved to be another successful day for retailers across the country as the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) tipped this year’s Boxing Day sales to reach $2.4 billion.

Russell Zimmerman, ARA Executive Director, said bricks-and-mortar retailers were happy with the steady stream of customers entering their stores throughout the day and were thankful to shoppers who waited patiently in queues due to the rise in foot-traffic across physical retailers throughout the nation.

“This year the ARA predicted retailers would trade almost $2.4 billion this Boxing Day, and judging by the increase in foot-traffic and shoppers lining outside bricks-and-mortar stores, I think we may have hit the mark,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“Every year Boxing Day crowds seem to grow, however with the growth of online retail the ARA believe many Australians got their bargains online this year, with consumers choosing to click through websites to take advantage of the best sales of the year.”

This Boxing Day, Myer expected to have 1.6 million customers flood through their doors after launching their biggest Stocktake Sale with up to 70 percent off a wide range of brands and products.

“Aussie consumers enjoyed savings across the board this Boxing Day, with 30-50 percent off selected clothing from Cue, MARCS, David Lawrence, Country Road, Seed and French Connection,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“Myer’s super Stocktake Sale also include up to 70 percent  off cookware by Circulon, up to 50% off small appliances and up to 40% off women’s clothing by Mossman, Tommy Hilfiger and Wayne Cooper.”

As Boxing Day is only the start of the sale period, the ARA and Roy Morgan Research expect shoppers to spend $17.9 billion from December 26, 2017 to January 15, 2018.

“We anticipate consumers to continue taking advantage of the best retail sales of the year for the next two or three weeks, both in-store and online,” Mr Zimmerman said.

The category tipped to enjoy the biggest increase in post-Christmas sales over the next three weeks will be the Other Retailing category as the ARA and Roy Morgan have predicted a 4% boost in post-Christmas sales for this category.

“With online shopping accounting for more than 7% of total retail sales and looking to account for 15% in the next five years we believe physical retailers will not be the only retailers to receive an increase in post-Christmas sales,” Mr Zimmerman said.

 

ARA Boxing Day 2017 sales predictions , December 26, 2017

Boxing Day 2017 sales

[ARA]

ARA and Roy Morgan Research post-Christmas sales predictions

December 26, 2017 – January 15, 2018

 

2017/2018 Post-Christmas sales growth by category

State	2016 Post-Christmas actual results ($mil)	2017 Forecast Post-Christmas sales ($mil)	Predicted Growth
FOOD	7027	7267	3.40%
HH GOODS	3015	3075	1.98%
APPAREL	1381	1400	1.33%
DEPARTMENT STORES	1044	1062	1.73%
OTHER	2465	2564	4.02%
HOSPITALITY	2455	2525	2.85%
NATIONAL	17387	17892	2.90%

[ARA / Roy Morgan]

 

2017/2018 Post-Christmas sales growth by state

State	2016 Post-Christmas actual results ($mil)	2017 Forecast Post-Christmas sales ($mil)	Predicted Growth
NSW	5593	5828	4.20%
VIC	4384	4528	3.28%
QLD	3501	3566	1.85%
SA	1139	1171	2.86%
WA	1927	1935	0.39%
TAS	346	356	2.91%
NT	178	180	1.19%
ACT	320	329	2.83%
NATIONAL	17387	17892	2.90%

[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 $310 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 7,500 independent and national retail members throughout Australia. For more information, visit www.retail.org.au or call 1300 368 041.

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