Illawarra shoppers will hand over around $382 million at the register during the festive season – with about 85 per cent of that spent locally, according to new research.
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In addition to the costs of living, adults will spend about $1095 each with many choosing to shop locally due to convenience, service or value for money.
The Illawarra Regional Information Service’s Christmas Shopping Intentions 2018 survey also found spending on games and CDs, wine and specialty food will be up on last year, while books gifts cards and confectionery would be down.
Jewellers are also tipped to receive less of our hard earned cash this year – however, apparently no one told that to the steady stream of shoppers pouring into Wollongong’s Pandora store over the past few weeks.
“The last few weekends have been manic,” one of the store’s managers, Georgia Dewey, told the Mercury during a momentary break in traffic on Sunday afternoon.
“Today’s it’s not quite as busy – we figure most people have already done their shopping.”
Ms Dewey said customers were lined up out the door – “all the way over to the Telstra store – in recent days and it was all-hands-on-deck for staff in a bid to get people in, served and out as quickly as possible.
She said many customers came in knowing exactly what they wanted, usually with a catalogue in hand, however others wanted to browse and choose something from scratch.
“Our charms have been popular, as have earrings, and there’s also been a lot of sentimental purchases – like a child’s first Christmas, or people having babies,” she said.
Meantime, the results of IRIS’s online survey revealed e-tailers were due to snap up 28 per cent of shopping activity during the festive season, up from three per cent last year.
“Retail spending is an important economic indicator, which directly points to consumer confidence and therefore to the strength of the economy,” said Adam Zarth executive director of the Illawarra Business Chamber.
“Bricks and mortar stores continue to be most popular for shoppers, thanks to the convenience and after sales service they provide.”
Your Christmas:
Annabelle Wharfe, 20, Keiraville
Question: What’s on your Christmas wish list this year?
Answer: Something I would use rather than something I want. I would love a mattress. I’d be stoked with a cutlery set to be honest. Maybe tupperware too? I’d never buy tupperware for myself but I always get cranky when I have to chuck out leftovers ‘cause I don’t have a container for it.
Steve Cooper, 28, Wollongong
Question: What does Christmas mean to you?
Answer: Christmas is about family and friends for me. I live in Sydney these days and I don’t get to spend much time down here anymore. Christmas gives me a few days to spend with the family. It’s about having a feed, some drinks and going to the beach. Have a good one.
Olessya Karamysheva, 58, Canberra
Question: What are you Christmas plans?
Answer: We’re Orthodox Christians so we won’t celebrate Christmas until January 7. Our background is Belarusian, so we will have special food we cook that’s slightly different from Australian food. If it’s hot we’ll have cold snacks. My daughter and her family are in Tasmania so we can’t celebrate with them this year.