Data from cloud-based point-of-sale and retail management company Vend shows that spending over Easter was 50 per cent lower than the average for the rest of March.
Shopping peaked the weekend before Easter (March 18) at 54 per cent above the March average, as compared with last year’s peak on Easter Saturday (April 4), which saw spending 90 per cent above the March/April average.
“Overall, Australian retailers this year saw a real drop in sales over the Easter period, particularly in the main cities, as everyone headed off on holiday, and the drop seems to be even bigger than last year,” Vend founder and CEO Vaughan Rowsell said.
He added that consumers wanted to be able to shop wherever and whenever it suited them and were keen to shop and eat out over the Easter period, but trading restrictions made it difficult for retailers to capitalise on this. The data outlines that main cities faced a drop in trade over Easter, while tourist destinations saw a marked increase in sales.
“While our data shows that retailers in popular holiday locations fare better over Easter than others, they’re often still subject to things like penalty rates, which make it difficult for them to turn a profit and provide really great customer service – often working during a busy time with fewer staff and less stock than usual,” Mr Rowsell said.