NSW: Post-Christmas sales may top retail forecasts

AAP General News (Australia)
12-27-2007
NSW: Post-Christmas sales may top retail forecasts

SYDNEY, Dec 27 AAP - The post-Christmas sales may turn out even better for retailers
than expected, industry experts say.

The end-of-year sales are now an institution across NSW, and the Australian National
Retailers Association says this year they may be more lucrative than first hoped.

Chief executive Margy Osmond said $2.1 billion was expected to be made in NSW between
now and the middle of January, and about $6 billion nationally.

But after speaking to retailers across the country, she said that figure could even be higher.

"Certainly what I'm hearing from NSW, South Australia and Tasmania this morning, from
a number of large member companies, it's going to be a lot better than that $6 billion,"

she said.

"That may be conservative."

December 27 is traditionally the big day of the post-Christmas sales, with the return
to trading in Sydney's suburbs and regional areas after Boxing Day restrictions.

While Ms Osmond did not have concrete figures for spending today in NSW, NSW Business
Chamber spokesman Paul Ritchie said it could hit $300 million above normal takings.

"I did some back of the envelope calculations that said you could be looking at $300
million above a normal day's trade," he said.

"The feedback from retailers is all positive."

Ms Osmond said whitegoods, electrical products, ladies' apparel and homewares were
top of shoppers' lists.

"Those things that we predicted were going to be the big sellers during the period
are proving to be the biggies - it's the audio-visual equipment, it's the ladies' apparel
and homewares," she said.

"There has been a change in shopping culture which says that if you need to buy big
purchases, particularly for the home, you wait for the sales period, and you buy them
then."

The post-Christmas sales had become part of the Australian calender, Mr Ritchie said.

"If you look at the significant months, particularly for clothing and footwear, it's
January and July, which are the months of the two major sales of the year," he said.

AAP ab/hn/jl/de

KEYWORD: SALES NSW

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