The spirit of giving is alive and well in Australia despite ongoing financial pressures, with new data from Shopfully revealing that most Aussies aren\u2019t letting the cost-of-living crisis ruin their Christmas cheer. While 60% of consumers plan to spend the same as last year, a similar percentage (62%) have reported they will be more cautious about how they spend. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shopfully, the international leader in Drive to Store, surveyed 574 Australian consumers in December 2025 to uncover Christmas shopping behaviours, revealing an increasingly strategic and digitally informed shopper mindset. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAussies are opening their wallets this Christmas, but they\u2019re doing so with more intention,\u201d says Brendan Straw, Country Manager for Shopfully Australia. \u201cWhat we\u2019re seeing is a new wave of savvy shoppers, or people who are sticking to their budgets, comparing prices, and making more thoughtful gift choices.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To shop smarter, Aussies won\u2019t be leaving preparations to the last minute. As many as 63% have already kicked off their shopping for the season, preparing wishlists as early as the November Black Friday sales. Whereas 40% are planning to have their shopping complete by early December – within the first two weeks of the month. In fact, we\u2019ll see very few last-minute shoppers, with only 5% leaving their gift shopping to Christmas Eve, or days before. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shoppers will stretch their dollars by looking out for sales and promotional events (54%), as well as comparing prices across stores and catalogues before making the final purchase (57%). While nearly half (47%) will turn to digital platforms such as online catalogues or deal-tracking tools to help support planning for Christmas \u2013 highlighting the critical role of digital tools in pre-purchase planning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite online savviness, Australians still love the magic of Christmas shopping in person. This year, 41% will head into physical stores to buy gifts, driven by the desire to see and compare products in real life (69%), take their purchases home immediately (41%), and enjoy the festive atmosphere (35%). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStores will be busy this year, and that\u2019s a big opportunity for retailers,\u201d says Straw. \u201cThe holiday season is your chance to shine \u2013 create an inviting space, offer immersive experiences, and make shopping enjoyable again. Promotions, personalised service and standout in-store displays will go a long way to drawing in customers.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The survey also revealed gift giving to be more intentional, with nearly a third of shoppers reporting they will be looking for gifts that are practical and can be used daily. This is similar to what gifts Aussies prefer to receive, with the majority are interested in practical gifts you can use regularly (63%) and great value for money (49%), followed by high-quality or long-lasting items (28%). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShoppers are prioritising practicality, longevity, and value \u2013 both for the gift giver and receiver,\u201d says Straw. \u201cIt\u2019s less about following flashy trends and more about making thoughtful purchases that have real purpose. With ongoing financial pressures, many Australians are being more mindful of what\u2019s truly essential versus what\u2019s simply a nice to have.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A growing number of shoppers (27%) are also planning to buy from Australian businesses this Christmas, reflecting a continued focus on shopping local and sustainably. With over half (52%) saying they\u2019re willing to pay more for ethical or environmentally friendly products, sustainability is a rising consideration for Aussie shoppers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Aussies navigate a tighter financial landscape this festive season, they’re proving to be more prepared, price-conscious, and purposeful in their purchases. For retailers, this presents a golden opportunity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cChristmas hasn\u2019t disappeared, it\u2019s simply evolving,\u201d concludes Straw. \u201cAussie shoppers aren\u2019t pulling back entirely; they\u2019re just becoming more intentional. For retailers, the opportunity lies in helping consumers make smarter, value-driven purchases that still deliver joy.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The spirit of giving is alive and well in Australia despite ongoing financial pressures, with new data from Shopfully revealing that most Aussies aren\u2019t letting the cost-of-living crisis ruin their Christmas cheer. While 60% of consumers plan to spend the same as last year, a similar percentage (62%) have reported they will be more cautious […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":695053,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-695052","newsroom","type-newsroom","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"topic_news":[1621],"country_news":"Australia","date_news":"20251215"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shopfully.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newsroom\/695052","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shopfully.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newsroom"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shopfully.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/newsroom"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/shopfully.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newsroom\/695052\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":695054,"href":"https:\/\/shopfully.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newsroom\/695052\/revisions\/695054"}],"acf:term":[{"embeddable":true,"taxonomy":"post_tag","href":"https:\/\/shopfully.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags\/1621"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shopfully.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/695053"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shopfully.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=695052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}