Advanced Search

Share Coverage



Category: Community and Society / Retail

WA Christmas spending steady despite tough times

Saturday, 24 Dec 2016 18:17:50 | Eliza Laschon

Christmas spending on average has increased by 2.3 per cent across the country. (Dean Lewins, file photo: AAP Image)

Western Australia's Christmas spending is not keeping up with increases seen across the country but is holding steady despite tough economic times, according to the retail industry.

Christmas spending on average has increased by 2.3 per cent across the country.

Australian Retailers Association's Executive Director Russell Zimmerman said WA had not experienced the increase, but remained steady with $5.3 billion spent in the lead-up to Christmas.

"There was no increase on last year but we put that down to … obviously Western Australia has got some difficulties in relation to its unemployment but it's at least good to see it holding on, even if there's no real increase," Mr Zimmerman said.

WA's jobless rate increased from 6.5 per cent to 6.9 per cent in November, reaching its highest level since 2002.

Westfield WA Regional Manager Kate Holsgrove said shopper traffic had been consistent with expectations over Christmas.

"The most popular gifts this year have been anything technology related," she said.

"Certainly coding and virtual reality have been really popular. Pool inflatables have been really popular this year. And personalisation has been really key."

A busy seafood shop selling prawns in Perth. Photo: A seafood store owner in Perth said he was having the best Christmas trade in memory. (ABC News: Hayley Roman)

Seafood store owner Allan Shek said he was having the best Christmas trade he could remember.

"We're so busy. I'm happy," he said.

Mr Shek said prawns and crayfish were most popular, despite higher prices for the latter.

Charities seeing "unprecedented" demand

WA Council of Social Service chief executive Louise Giolitto said the state's high unemployment meant some families were relying on charities for the first time this Christmas.

"All of them are repeatedly recording an increase in demand for food vouchers, for housing, for shelter, for Christmas gifts for children," she said.

"It's unprecedented. It's never been seen at this high level before.

"We know our emergency relief and we know our financial counselling services are now seeing people they've never seen as part of the system before because of the growing unemployment."

Mission Australia is expecting record numbers at its annual Christmas Lunch in the Park in Perth, which attracted more than 2,000 people in 2015.

AustraliaPlus


 

Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

沪公网安备 31010602000204号

Email this to your friend