Retailers hail record Black Friday as Australians spend billions on Christmas gifts

Australians have defied cost-of-living pressures and are on the way to spending a record $6.8 billion during Black Friday sales that close on Monday.

Shoppers and pedestrians move through the Pitt Street Mall on November 28, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. Picture: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Black Friday sales end on Monday with Australians on target to spend a record $6.8 billion as they tick off Christmas gift lists and snap up bargains for themselves.

While final figures will take weeks to confirm, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) says there are strong indications shoppers are on a dollar-dumping spree that defies the cost-of-living crunch.

“Early signs are that trading’s in line with our expectations, which is a predicted 4 per cent year on year rise in sales,” ARA Chief Industry Affairs Officer Fleur Brown told The Daily Telegraph.

Shoppers move through Pitt Street Mall on day one of the Black Friday sales in Sydney. Picture: Getty Images

She said pre-sales assumptions were based on Roy Morgan polling “to work out likely consumer spending”, consideration of last year’s results, and ABS data around retail trends.

“We’ve added to that a layer of checking in with a lot of the retailers to see how they’re going and the feedback is it’s travelling solidly,” Ms Brown added.

“That tells us our predictions are probably accurate, and it’s not bad growth.

“Definitely a big driver of Black Friday sales in the last couple of years is people trying to keep their spending down when it comes to Christmas budgets.

“There’s also a lot of buzz around it now.”

Fleur Brown, Australian Retailers Association Chief Industry Affairs Officer

Technology and whitegoods have been sought after in the 2025 sales, supporting earlier suggestions from Afterpay that 45 per cent of Australian shoppers would target discounts on big-ticket purchases.

The buy-now pay-later service has tipped clothing, shoes, toys, books and interior décor to be other hot sales items.

Retailers have embraced the Black Friday concept in increasing numbers.

Professional services firm Deloitte expects 44 per cent of Australian retailers to be involved this year, up three per cent on 2024.

The ARA has also noticed trends emerging in how businesses have approached the four-day window, which closes with Cyber Monday.

“We have seen retailers getting savvy about using these sales to drive loyalty,” Ms Brown said.

Whitegoods are among the big ticket items in this year’s Black Friday sales. Picture: Richard Walker

“You may only be able to shop the Black Friday experience if you download the app from a particular retailer. Or you may only get information about their sales if you download an app.

“So they’re driving retail engagement and loyalty as part of Black Friday. It’s a smart thing to do. At the same time, retailers know they’ve got to offer the best prices because there’s a lot of online research being done before a purchase is made.”

Ms Brown also issued a late cautionary warning to Aussie shoppers.

“We’re encouraging people to shop with their trusted retailers because there can be scams out there,” she said. “If you’re shopping with a brand you know and trust, you can be confident about the quality and know the accountability is there if you have a problem.

“You’ll end up with a better outcome than going with an unknown, perhaps global, offer where you’re unclear on quality or accountability.”

Originally published as Retailers hail record Black Friday as Australians spend billions on Christmas gifts