Australia is on the cusp of the busiest shopping period of the year, with many of us traditionally leaving our festive shopping to the last minute, according to eftpos data. eftpos CEO Stephen Benton said while shopping patterns in 2021 were dramatically impacted by COVID, eftpos data indicates that things are returning to “normal” and Christmas Eve will almost certainly once again be Australia’s busiest shopping day of the year. Benton added that the busiest part of the busiest day will be around noon on Christmas Eve, when last year transactions peaked at close to 270 per second, setting a record. Benton said that this year Australia’s shop tills are expected to ring around 300 times a second on Christmas Eve.
Mr. Benton said while online shopping has increased in popularity in 2021, based on historical data in the final days leading up to Christmas Day local high street shops and businesses should still expect customer traffic to peak. “With only a handful of days left to shop, Australians can turn to their local retailers to finalise their Christmas shopping,” Mr. Benton commented “We encourage all Australians to support their local businesses this year. Buying Christmas gifts and food items locally has a big impact on your immediate community, as many small and medium businesses across Australia continue to face tough times. With community support this Christmas, Australian small businesses could thrive once again,”
Mr. Benton pointed out that in 2020 the top five busiest days were the five days immediately prior to Christmas Day.