Need help navigating the Boxing Day sales? Ask Reddit
And, so this is Christmas, and what have you done? A lot of shopping already, I’ll wager. Last year, Australians spent a record of $74.5 billion in just the pre-Christmas run, and the Australian Retail Association is predicting that $9 billion was spent this week alone – as last minute shoppers scramble to find that perfect whatever-they’ve-got-left.
Boxing Day shopping is a whole other beast, however, a crowded, loud hustle to get that heavily discounted Bluetooth speaker before they sell out of the teal colour.
Last year’s Boxing Day spend was up a whopping 15.3 per cent from 2021 – with $1.23 billion going through tills on that day alone.
After several years of disruption, ARA chief Paul Zahra referred to last year’s splurge as “freedom spending”, saying “Australians are seeing shopping as an experience and a reward after such a challenging period”.
Inflation also drove up the total spend last year, and it will do so again this year. Despite this continued cost crunch, Reddit insights show that 62% of Aussies on Reddit will spend more this year, despite cost-of-living.
It seems an odd place from which to pull such data – until you learn that a quarter of all posts on Reddit are recommendations – be it for a product, service, or lifestyle element.
“Many people are surprised to learn that,” Rob Gaige, director of global insights at Reddit, tells Mumbrella.
“What makes these recommendations unique is that they stem from nuanced conversations. If you ask for a car recommendation, a redditor won’t just answer, they will say, ‘it depends’ – How big is your family? What activities do you do? How far and how often do you drive?
“This is what makes Reddit different from an algorithm. It’s real people who appreciate that there is rarely a one-size-fits-all answer to any recommendation.”
With this in mind, Gaige provided Mumbrella with a handful of tips for those looking for recommendations on Reddit – very useful to pinpoint exactly what you wish to buy at the Boxing Day sales, and avoid the sales spin.
“First, if you’re asking about a specific product, it’s likely already on Reddit. Brands [or savvy shoppers] can directly search Reddit for a specific SKU,” Gaige said.
“I’ve personally done this in a store when deciding on a TV, by searching for competing TVs for an exact model number and adding ‘review’ at the end. You’d be amazed at how detailed the conversations on Reddit can be in their reviews.
“If you’re starting from scratch, I’d recommend finding a community related to your product category.
“There are over 100,000 active communities on Reddit across every passion, and a TV recommendation from r/hometheater will be quite different from r/homedesign. Once you find a relevant community, post honestly and openly. Be as specific as possible and be open to clarifying questions. The more information you provide, the better the recommendation you’ll receive.
“And lastly, go into it with a bit of humour and self-awareness. Redditors will sometimes give you the hard truth you need to hear rather than the answer you want! Don’t be surprised if redditors call you out on your unrealistic expectations. It’s this authenticity that provides the magic behind the recommendations.”
Paul Zahra calls Boxing Day “the Grand Final of Australia’s favourite sport, shopping” – so be careful out there, and make tip the scale in your favour with a little pre-game research.
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