RECORD $7.2 BILLION BLACK FRIDAY SPLURGE TIPPED, AS ACCC WATCHES FOR DODGY DEALS
Get your wish lists ready, because Australians are tipped to spend a record $7.2 billion over this year's Black Friday sales weekend.
The four-day shopping event runs from Friday, November 27 to Cyber Monday, November 30, and for many of us it has become the unofficial start of Christmas shopping.
But before you reach for your card, it's worth knowing that the consumer watchdog will be watching retailers closely.
Black Friday spending hits new heights
The forecast comes from the Australian Retail Council and Roy Morgan, and was reported by Retail World on November 10.
The predicted spend is up 5.5% on last year, an extra $374 million.
About 5.8 million Australians intend to hit the sales, slightly fewer than last year, but those who do plan to spend more.
The average shopper expects to spend $920, up $116 on 2025, and almost one in three plans to spend $1,000 or more.
Women plan to spend an average of $822, while men expect to spend $1,028.
"Black Friday continues to rise in popularity in Australia," said the council's chief industry engagement officer Fleur Brown.
What we're buying
Clothing, footwear and accessories top the list, with 33% of shoppers planning to buy in this category.
Technology (30%) and household goods (29%) are close behind.
Christmas is clearly on our minds, with 39% of shoppers using the sales to save on gifts, up from 25% last year.
A quarter said they were starting their Christmas shopping early.
Low prices are the main motivation for 58% of shoppers.
In a sign of changing times, one in four plans to use an AI chatbot to research products and deals, and most of them will be doing so for the very first time.
The ACCC is on the lookout
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is running its third annual sweep of Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions, Retail World reports.
For the first time, the watchdog will be looking beyond retailers' websites at their emails and social media advertising as well.
It is focusing on sitewide or storewide sale claims that exclude a large number of products.
Countdown timers and time-limited offers that keep running after the stated end date are also in its sights.
So are pressure tactics, such as misleading testimonials and false claims that stock is about to run out.
The ACCC is also checking "was" prices that were never, or not recently, actually charged.
Deputy chair Catriona Lowe warned that retailers should not rely on "fine print disclaimers or exclusions" to qualify the headline message of a sale, Mediaweek reported.
Previous sweeps have already led to penalties for several well-known retailers.
How to spot a genuine Black Friday bargain
Start tracking prices now on the items you really want, so you can tell whether a sale price is genuinely lower.
Read the fine print on "storewide" or "sitewide" offers, as there may be exclusions or members-only conditions.
Be wary of "up to" discounts, since the biggest saving may apply to only a handful of products.
Don't let a ticking countdown clock rush you into a purchase you haven't thought through.
Set yourself a budget and a shopping list before the sales start, and stick to them.
Check the returns policy before you buy, especially for gifts.
Watch out for scams too
Scammers love a big sale event.
According to Mediaweek, more than half of Scamwatch reports involving a financial loss in the first nine months of 2026 related to buying and selling scams.
Shop with retailers you know, type website addresses in yourself rather than clicking on links in unexpected emails or texts, and be very wary of deals that look too good to be true.
You can find more advice and report a suspected scam on the Scamwatch website.
If you think a retailer has misled you, you can report it to the ACCC.
Happy, savvy shopping.
