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If you feel like holiday season spending starts earlier each year, you’re not alone. Some 70 per cent of Australians expect to have their Christmas shopping done by the end of November, according to the latest Christmas Shopping Intentions Report from CPM Australia. And the Black Friday sales are a big reason for this shift from December to November (or earlier) spending.
Where Boxing Day used to be the biggest sale event of the year, Black Friday now dominates. In fact, Australians are expected to spend $6.8 billion dollars over the four days from Black Friday to Cyber Monday in 2025, according to the Australian Retailers Association’s Peak Season Hub. And the sales seem to start earlier every year.
Is Black Friday a good time to spend money?
Kate Browne, the head of research at Compare Club, says the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales period is “perfectly placed in our calendar.”
“It’s before Christmas and it’s far out enough that people can do quite a lot of their shopping and plan for it, rather than being caught out in that last minute rush. And there’s genuinely good sales, so it is a good time to spend.”
Kate Browne, Compare Club
But with so many retailers jumping on the Black Friday bandwagon, there is a risk of overspending – or losing sight of other priorities you may have.
“ Our team is certainly seeing millennials – even older millennials who are in their forties – inquiring about taking out a home loan,” Kate says.
“However, what’s standing in these peoples’ way is the fact that quite a lot of them have significant debt in the form of buy now, pay later, loans or credit card debt.”
“ I think we’re seeing quite a lot of people that were in a fairly high consumption mindset now looking to take out a home loan and being caught out by that. So that would be one caution to people who might be looking to shop up a storm in the Black Friday sales.”
But if a home loan or existing debt isn’t a factor, Black Friday deals can be an opportunity to spread holiday season spending out.
“ We used to see with our survey work that people really pinched [their money] in the lead up to Christmas.”
“So in some ways Black Friday kind of levels it out a bit more so you see a bit more higher spending, then there’s a bit of a recovery and then people can look at the expenses for actually celebrating Christmas and travel and buying food and things like that.”
How to find a great deal in the Black Friday sales
The Black Friday sales cover just about anything you could ever want to buy, but not all deals are equal.
“Frictionless purchasing” is one risk Kate has noticed. She explains it as “where you just hit one button or you hit your Apple Pay or your Google Pay and suddenly everything’s [paid for].”
She suggests disabling this option, or buying items as a guest to avoid overspending. A wish list is also a way to focus in on what you want – which is why I already have mine ready to go.
Kate agrees, adding: “It sounds like the most basic advice, but yeah, have a list of things you want.”
“That’s the pro of shopping online: you can just go and compare, compare, compare. It’s really, really easy.”
What’s worth buying for Black Friday?
Everyone’s wish list will be different, but there are definitely some items we all seem to want.
In fact, I took a look at Australian Women’s Weekly shopping data to find some of the biggest ticket items that have been popular with our readers this year. And based on that, the standout item everyone wants is a walking pad – with readers buying over 600 in the year to date.
Other popular purchases include mattresses, robot vacuums and other vacuum cleaners, LED face masks, hair straighteners and beauty advent calendars.
Our top picks for Black Friday deals
Merach walking pad treadmill
$289.99 at Amazon
Dreame’s X50 Ultra Robot Vacuum and Mop$2999 $1999 at Dreame
Koala Plus Mattress (queen)
$1650 at Koala
CurrentBody LED Face Mask
$679.99 at CurrentBody
Kate Browne also suggested focusing on bigger ticket items that can add value to your home.
“Last year our research showed clothing and shoes were the most frequently purchased items. And you know, I love shopping for clothes and shoes as well, but this is probably not your most strategic buy,” she says.
“In Black Friday sales, if you want to get bang for your buck… where the true value lies, from what I’ve looked into, really is around things like household appliances and electronics because you do see very good deals. And these are big ticket items that will genuinely provide value.”
“So that could be anything from a robo vac or a washing machine or refrigerator through to new laptops or any kind of electronics.”
You could also use the sales as a time to shop for gifts for your loved ones, or even non-perishable Christmas items like lights and decorations.
And if you’re not sure where to start, The Australian Women’s Weekly has a Black Friday guide that’s regularly updated with the latest deals and details – plus an early Black Friday deals guide. Make sure to keep checking back for editor-approved deals that are worth it.
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