Australians are prioritising toilet paper, sponges and dishwashing tablets this Black Friday, with demand for essential household items up almost 10% year on year, new research from ING has shown.

Shoppers are willing to spend an average of $184 each, or $675 million nationwide, on these essential items. One in ten (9%) would spend between $301 and $500.

Nearly half of Millennials agree that due to the costs of living, they intend to spend more on essential household goods compared to gifts and/or discretionary items during the sales this year, which is more than their older counterparts (Gen X: 30%, Boomers: 26%). Almost half (49%) of Australians with young children at home say the same.

The research also found just over $12.7 billion is expected to be spent on the sales nationwide, across all categories (clothing, jewellery, furniture, appliances, technology, household essentials etc.) – an increase from last year’s projected spend of $10.8 billion, while 58%, or the equivalent of approximately 11.5 million Australians, intend to shop the sales this year – an increase of 17% since 2020.

Almost half (49%) of all Black Friday shoppers this year are planning to use the sales to buy their Christmas presents, with $297 being the average budget among those shopping for gifts.

Despite the increased interest in Black Friday sales this year, 40% of Australians are skipping them completely due to cost-of-living budget constraints. Just one-third (32%) of Australians aren’t shopping the sales this year because they are budgeting or saving for other things, with Millennials being the most likely generation to say this (44%).

Almost one-quarter (23%) did not think the discounts were large enough to justify opening their wallets. In addition, 35% of shoppers plan to spend their Black Friday money overseas on international retailers rather than Australia-based brands.

Commenting on the findings, ING Australia head of consumer and market insights, Matt Bowen said, “This year’s Black Friday survey by ING shows that Australian consumer sentiment may be improving, however, many Australians are spending more on household essentials and buying their Christmas gifts in advance. There’s also clearly an appetite to shop the sales with international retailers this year, according to 35% of respondents who plan to shop the sales this year.”