Discounted clothing to remain popular in Australia

28 Dec '11

2 min read

Discounted clothing is likely to remain highly popular across Australia next year with around 58 percent of shoppers looking for a new dress or office wear, the Australian National Retailers Association (ANRA) has predicted.

ANRA made the forecast on the basis of robust sales witnessed on Boxing Day, the day after Christmas. It estimates the total Boxing Day sales at AUD 1.7 billion across the country.

In Australia, the Boxing Day sales are considered as an indicator of people's willingness to actually spend and hence, it is used to forecast sales for the coming year.

The healthy Boxing Day sales has brought respite to retailers in the country who were worried due to less than expected sales during the run-up to the Christmas season. These retailers are now expecting that consumers will get back to their normal spending habits next year.

In Australian Capital Territory (ACT), retail sales on Boxing Day grossed around AUD 21 million, about the same as the revenue earned last year, the ANRA said. In Melbourne, good sales were observed in men's official shirts and suits as well as women's fashionwear.

In Western Australia (WA), a healthy change was observed in spending habits of shoppers. Retail Traders Association WA estimated the Boxing Day sales in the State at around AUD 275 million and is expecting the total sales to cross the record AUD 1 billion-mark during last week of December.

Last year, WA grossed retail sales of AUD 200 million on Boxing Day and AUD 750 million during the week from Boxing Day to New Year.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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