Just under half (47.5%) of Aussies already bought their Christmas gifts during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, according to ShopFully Australia.

In the wider context of increasing inflation, nearly two thirds (62.4%) of Australian’s search through catalogues to find the best deals on items they want to buy as presents.

Interestingly, 58.6% of shoppers are spending about the same amount as last year while 27% are spending less.

To save money this Christmas, 34.3% are looking for presents on sale, 22.1% are just buying items from discount catalogues and 17.9% are agreeing to exchange small presents with their friends and families before they buy.

Nearly a fifth of consumers (18.9%) are skipping presents entirely this year.

A massive 93.8% of shoppers are heading in-store for some or all of their purchases. Half (49.3%) are shopping exclusively in-store for their gifts.

61.6% of respondents shared they’re eager to shop in-store because they love to physically touch and see products in person before they buy, while 43.8% said it is easier to find inspiration in store.

ShopFully Australia Country Manager Brendan Straw says: “Aussies are facing a tough time right now. With the cost-of-living hitting many hard, it’s no surprise that as we approach the holiday season most respondents (85.6%) revealed they’ll be spending the same or less than last Christmas season.

“Pre-Christmas spending being predicted to be in line with last year, Aussies are looking to catalogues and sales to make their money stretch a little further. While consumers contemplate sales, we expect they’ll take a more calculated approach to how they spend their hard-earned money. Starting with online research to compare prices, Aussies will be turning to retailers that provide the best value on each item.

“Interestingly, almost half (47.5%) of the Aussie’s we spoke to bought their Christmas presents during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales events, and a massive 62.4% have been search through catalogues to find the best deals.

“Almost all Aussies (93.8%) are heading into stores to find inspiration and touch products before they buy this season with just 6.2% planning to get all their gifts online.”