How to grab a post-Christmas bargain today
While some shoppers will brave the queues today and others will play fastest finger first with online retailers, the best play to grab a bargain may be from an unlikely source - unwanted Christmas gifts being quickly resold online.
Popular classifieds website Gumtree says its research shows that 70 per cent of Australians receive at least one unwanted present each year, at an average amount of $69 per person - and that number will go up in the final few days of 2018.
Kayaks, surfboards and televisions top the most-searched items on Gumtree after Christmas; both from people looking to buy and sell.
"We typically see a 30 per cent increase in listings post-Christmas", says Gumtree spokeswoman Kirsty Dunn.
Dunn says friends, colleagues and in-laws are "by far" the worst culprits when it comes to giving unwanted gifts.
The most common reason for giving an unwanted gift was as a joke, with nearly a third of respondents saying that was the reason behind the present.
Others have given an unwanted gift because they had a limited budget (26 per cent), because they left it too late (23 per cent), or to purposely annoy the receiver (12 per cent).
Unwanted Fitbits, Lego sets, older iPhones and Google Home devices are among the items sold for the biggest savings on Gumtree in 2018 - usually due to people upgrading to newer versions, or already owning the product.
Online retailer eBay is also expecting a large stream of traffic on Boxing Day, with the biggest bargains expected to include OLED televisions, Dyson vacuum cleaners and Bose sound equipment.
“Boxing Day is one of the busiest days of the year on ebay.com.au. We expect millions of people to come to the site to nab a bargain and sell some of their unwanted Christmas gifts,” says eBay’s chief marketing officer Julie Nesto.
Suncorp behavioural economist Phil Slade recommends second-hand shopping as one of his biggest tips for avoiding spending headaches in the festive season.
"Second-hand is not second rate," Slade says.
"If you know what you want to buy, often by going second-hand you can find brand new goods in immaculate condition for a fraction of the price."
Gumtree's most-searched items post-Christmas:
- Kayak
- Surfboard
- TV
- Bike
- iPhone
- BBQ
- Guitar
- Lego
- Ps4
- Pool table
- Boat
- Harley Davidson
- Jet ski
- Cubby house
- Golf clubs
- Nikon camera
- Apple watch
- Skateboard
- Pinball machine
- Diamond ring