Santa’s Shopping Local in Australia this year

Movements encouraging Australians to buy from the bush are set to create a wave of ‘solidarity spending’ this Christmas, as nearly two thirds (64%) of Aussies report campaigns such as the drought relief effort mounted by local business encourage them to shop Australian, in fresh findings from MYOB.

In addition to shopping local, Australian consumers will be more likely to choose bricks over clicks this Christmas, with 64% reporting they will shop in person at their local stores and shopping centres.

When quizzed on preference, 91% said they preferred to shop local, with 44% revealing they did not prefer to shop overseas.

With this rise in solidarity spending, online overseas businesses are likely to lose out, with just one per cent of respondents saying they would buy from businesses outside of Australia this year. More than two thirds (69%) said Australian-made was an important factor in deciding whether to buy a product, with 61% prepared to pay more for an Australian-made product or service.

MYOB’s general manager of marketing and sales, Natalie Feehan, said these findings spoke to the nature of Australians as conscious consumers.

“2019 has been a year of widespread drought, raging bushfires and severe flooding and all have had tremendous impact on local business, which we’ve seen play out very publicly in the media,” she said.

“Australians support one another in tough times. Shopping local this Christmas is another way we as a community can give Aussies a fair go.

“The findings also speak volumes about the way we shop. Getting people in-store has been an ongoing battle for independent businesses, and yet, these findings suggest Australian consumers prefer to tackle Christmas shopping in person. A great opportunity for independents to win big this year.”

Peter Strong, Chief Executive Officer of COSBOA said he wasn’t surprised by the findings.

“MYOB’s research confirms that Australians continue to understand the importance of supporting local businesses at peak shopping periods,” Mr Strong said.

“We know that a small business will survive or perish based on the level of customer service they provide, and as a result, Australians count on and trust their local small businesses the most.

“The fact that most Aussies report campaigns such as the drought relief effort will encourage them to buy Australian-made this Christmas demonstrates a deeper understanding of the impact natural disasters have on small businesses and the local people they employ.”

Buyer behaviour

The research also investigated the ways Australian consumers plan to pay for Christmas this year, with the top three methods identified as debit card (36%), credit card (32%) and cash (18%). Just six per cent said they would dip into their savings to cover Christmas costs, while two per cent said they would use AfterPay and one per cent of respondents opting for a personal loan or Layby option.

Ms Feehan concluded that retailers who offer payment and purchase options for their customers will be most likely to win share of the consumer pocket this Christmas.

“The data shows most Australians will be paying with a card this year, so retailers – particularly independent ones – need to make sure they can tackle demand by offering a variety of payment options, especially online,” she said.

“If this is the summer of local shopping, independent Aussie business is in fine shape to sweep up, if they keep the consumer in mind.”

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For further comment or other information please contact:

Collette Betts, Australian PR and Corporate Communications Manager, MYOB
M: 61 0406 947 551/ E: [email protected]

About MYOB

MYOB is a leading provider of online business management solutions. MYOB makes business life easier for approximately 1.2 million businesses across Australia and New Zealand by simplifying accounting, payroll, tax, practice management, CRM, job costing, inventory and more. MYOB operates across three core segments – Clients and Partners (business solutions to SMEs and Advisers); Enterprise Solutions (larger businesses) and Payment Solutions. We also provide ongoing support via many client service channels including a network of over 40,000 accountants, bookkeepers and other consultants. We are committed to ongoing innovation, particularly through our Connected Practice Strategy and through the development of the MYOB Platform. For more information visit https://www.myob.com/au/ or follow @MYOB on Twitter.  

About the research

The research was conducted by Gundabluey on behalf of MYOB in November 2019 and gathered the responses of 1009 Australian consumers.