The end-of-year sales can be a good time to pick up an item you’ve had your eye on for a reduced price, but it’s important to do your research
Some estimates suggest Australians will spend more than $1 billion on Boxing Day
Be wary of products that failed to impress CHOICE testers
Hot on the heels of the Black Friday sales in November, both retailers and shoppers are gearing up for the end-of-year and the Boxing Day sales that kick off as early as mid-December and last until early January.
According to research from the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and Roy Morgan, it was predicted that shoppers would spend $6.8 billion across the four-day Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend in November 2025 (a 4% increase on 2024).
Just six weeks later another big sale event will kick off, as Boxing Day sales commence, with strong spending predicted to continue. Some estimates suggest that Australians will spend more than $1.3 billion on Boxing Day itself and more than $24 billion between 26 December and mid-January.
If you’re planning to look for a bargain in this year’s sales, follow these five top tips from the CHOICE experts to help ensure you secure a genuine saving.
With so much pressure to spend, CHOICE editorial director Mark Serrels suggests a cautious approach is best.
“Despite the hype, there will always be deals on high-profile products at other times in the year. It’s always worth checking out historical price trackers like CamelCamelCamel or LowerSpendings to see if something is really on sale during Boxing Day, or if it’s just a marketing trick,” says Mark.
2. Be prepared
It also pays to do some research before you buy. Mark suggests you make a list and know what you want before you begin shopping.
“If possible, do a quick price check for specific items to make sure you’re getting the best deal. Information is power,” he says.
It’s also worth taking the time to find out which products perform well and which should be avoided.
Make a list and know what you want before you begin shopping
In the 2024 Boxing Day sales, the most popular product categories on the CHOICE website were stick vacuums, robot vacs, air fryers, TVs, mattresses, washing machines, fridges, portable air conditioners, dishwashers and coffee machines. But whatever you’ve got your eye on, checking CHOICE’s independent reviews is a good way to avoid poor performers.
It’s essential to do your research before buying if you want to bag a genuine bargain in the sales.
3. Negotiate
Mark suggests that if you see a better price when researching, you should use it to your advantage. “When it comes to big-ticket items like TVs or laptops, haggling may be an option,” he says.
CHOICE mattress expert Peter Zaluzny agrees that asking for a discount can be effective.
“We’ve been buying mattresses for years for our tests and found many retailers have a lot of room to move on price,” he says.
“If you’re confident and have done your research, you can usually shave a decent amount off the price tag by haggling. Just ask them ‘What’s the best price you can do?’ and go from there.”
Our CHOICE experts suggest that retailers may be trying to move stock at these end-of-year sales. While big spending during Black Friday may mean that retailers have run out of stock on some items, there will still be bargains if you know what to look for.
“Keep an eye out for premium-priced models of TVs released in 2025. These need to be moved before April 2026, as the major brands such as LG, Samsung and Sony will have most of their new models available,” says CHOICE tech expert Denis Gallager.
“Retailers have a much bigger margin to work with on premium TVs so, while you may see less choice, there could be bigger discounts,” he says.
Bundling your purchases can help you save even more.
For example, if you’re buying a mattress, look out for good deals on linen, mattress protectors and pillows, too. These are also typically on sale during these periods, and you may be able to negotiate an even lower price if you buy all the items at once.
You can try this tactic when purchasing any group of products from one retailer – a TV and a soundbar perhaps, or a new washing machine and dryer.
What to watch out for
In the age of widespread scams, caution is needed to avoid getting caught by criminals who want to rip you off.
“Boxing Day is a huge time for online shopping and sales, which also means scammers will be out in full force. Over the years we’ve seen a lot of fake websites impersonating major brands, so ensure the retailer you are buying from is genuine,” says Mark.
We have seen a lot of fake websites impersonating major brands
Mark Serrels, CHOICE editorial director
According to the ACCC, there have been 19,662 reports of shopping scams already this year, resulting in losses of more than $8.6 million. These scammers attract their victims by setting up stores that look real, offering products on fake websites or on a cloned website of a popular store. They also sell through social media profiles or through legitimate selling platforms like Amazon.
“At CHOICE, we recommend paying close attention to the URL of websites you’re buying from. Most big brands will have very clean URLs with the brand name and little else. Also, look out for red flags such as typos, bad design, huge discounts that are too good to be true, unusual URLs or odd payment methods,” says Mark.
If you’re buying an expensive item in the sales, be wary of adding an extended warranty to your purchase, even if the salesperson tells you it’s a good deal. And if you’re buying online, check to make sure an extended warranty hasn’t been automatically added to your shopping cart.
An extended warranty might also be called extended care, concierge service or gold service extras. Whatever it’s called, it’s the same thing: an extra charge you pay at the time of purchase that promises to prolong the length of time that the product is covered in case of failure. The problem is that in most cases, an extended warranty means you’re paying for rights you already have.
Under the Australian Consumer Law, products you buy in Australia are automatically covered by consumer guarantees, which means you are entitled to a repair, replacement or refund if you end up with a product that doesn’t function as it should for a “reasonable time”.
In most cases, an extended warranty means you’re paying for rights you already have
These guarantees apply regardless of what a manufacturer’s warranty says, so if you’re $5000 TV packs it in shortly after the warranty expires you are entitled to a remedy, regardless of what’s in the warranty.
No matter what the salesperson might tell you, your purchase is already protected under Australian law, and you shouldn’t pay for rights you already have.
Margaret Rafferty joined CHOICE in 2018 as a Content editor and since then has filled the roles of Commissioning editor, Managing editor and now Editorial consultant. Margaret has written on a wide variety of topics and enjoys making complex subjects easy to understand. With over 20 years of media experience, Margaret brings a strong storytelling background to CHOICE. She works closely with people across the organisation to help tell stories that make a positive difference to people and is passionate about uncovering bad practices and helping Australians to avoid falling victim to shonky products and services.
Find Margaret on LinkedIn.
Margaret Rafferty joined CHOICE in 2018 as a Content editor and since then has filled the roles of Commissioning editor, Managing editor and now Editorial consultant. Margaret has written on a wide variety of topics and enjoys making complex subjects easy to understand. With over 20 years of media experience, Margaret brings a strong storytelling background to CHOICE. She works closely with people across the organisation to help tell stories that make a positive difference to people and is passionate about uncovering bad practices and helping Australians to avoid falling victim to shonky products and services.
Find Margaret on LinkedIn.
For more than 60 years, we've been making a difference for Australian consumers. In that time, we've never taken ads or sponsorship.
Instead we're funded by members who value expert reviews and independent product testing.
With no self-interest behind our advice, you don't just buy smarter, you get the answers that you need.
You know without hesitation what's safe for you and your family. And our recent sunscreens test showed just how important it is to keep business claims in check.
So you'll never be alone when something goes wrong or a business treats you unfairly.
