Retail World gifts you all the Christmas-related news you need, from the start of the week to the present.
Set for a big December
More than five million Australians will shop for Christmas gifts on Saturday December 17, according to research from Commonwealth Bank. This will be the most popular day in the lead-up to Christmas, followed by Sunday December 18 and Thursday December 22.
The survey also found that those who overspend on Christmas gifts will end up an average of $345 over budget.
Since the company began tracking retail spending during the festive period in 2012, the spend of the average Australian has increased 31 per cent, from $475 to an estimated $599 in 2016.
Keeping up with the kids
Roy Morgan Research has predicted the ‘coolest’ gifts for kids this Christmas, with spending on children’s presents making up a significant portion of the estimated $48.1 billion in estimated spending over the period.
Apple electronics top the ‘cool’ list, with the iPad (the choice of 69 per cent of children surveyed) and the iPhone (54 per cent) both popular as desired presents with children. These technologies are more favourable for girls than boys, with 71 per cent of girl respondents wanting an iPad, compared with 68 per cent of the boys, and 59 per cent of the girls interested in iPhones, compared with 50 per cent of the boys. Other toys in the top 10 of desired presents include Lego, computers, Nerf Guns and the Playstation 4.
Cards and clothes to stuff the stocking
The Christmas Spending Index from the Australian Retail Council has shown that clothing attracts the highest proportion of Christmas gift spending, but that the popularity of gift cards is growing.
The top five gifts people intend to buy this Christmas, according to the index are:
- Clothing (40 per cent).
- Gift cards (36 per cent).
- Toys (27 per cent).
- Food and wine (26 per cent).
- Electronics and entertainment equipment (26 per cent, rising by around 10 per cent from last year).
Project Rudolph spreads Christmas cheer to those in need
Aussie Farmers Direct and Foodbank have teamed up this Christmas to put Christmas dinner on the tables of struggling Australian families. The Project Rudolph joint initiative lets donors buy a meal box for those doing it tough this Christmas.
For $45, donors can give a family in need a Christmas dinner of roast meat, carrots, potatoes, pumpkin and Christmas cake.
Those willing to donate should order a Christmas meal box on the Aussie Farmers Direct website and Foodbank will deliver it. The Project Rudolph aim is to deliver more than 1,000 Christmas dinners to those in need across Australia this year.