Vic: Christmas buyers swoop on electrical goods
MELBOURNE, Dec 24 AAP - Kitchen appliances and homewares were the gifts of choice inVictoria this Christmas, retailers said today.
The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) reports that homeware, do-it-yourself projectkits, electrical goods and DVD players have been pouring off shop shelves.
In its annual survey, the ARA estimated that about 60 per cent of Christmas presentsthis year would be homewares or kitchen appliances.
"People aren't going overseas so they have more spare cash to spend on things," saidthe association's Victorian director Brian Donegan.
The ARA estimates Victorians will spend about $1.5 billion on Christmas-related goods,including presents, food and liquor.
"We're hopeful that will be achieved, and if it is, it will be a four per cent increaseon last year," Mr Donegan said.
Melbourne's Chadstone Shopping Centre will have been open for 33 consecutive hours,when it closes at 6pm (AEDT) tonight, with 180,000 last-minute shoppers expected to passthrough its doors in that period.
General manager Kim Pepi believes Melbourne's housing boom over the past 12 to 18 monthsexplains why homeware and electrical goods have been hot sellers.
"There are two sectors," Ms Pepi said. "First home buyers and baby boomers who aresetting up beach houses or inner city apartments."
Gift vouchers had also been popular at Chadstone, Ms Pepi said, with sales up 40 percent from last year.
With an extra shopping day in the lead-up to Christmas this year, retail giants ColesMyer Ltd and Woolworths Ltd will be looking for a good December.
A Woolworths spokesman said that yesterday and today were crucial to the Christmas season.
"It's particularly important in our discount department store Big W which sells goodssuch as home entertainment, books and garden material," he said.
Meanwhile, it seems that kids and kids-at-heart just want to be rock stars.
Toys `R' Us merchandising manager John Redenbech said sales of karaoke machines were"just phenomenal".
But despite a bumper year, with Toys `R' Us sales 20 per cent up on last year, Decembersales had been below expectations.
"My theory is that with the anniversary of September 11 and the Bali bombing, peopleadopted retail therapy earlier in October and November," Mr Redenbech said.
AAP jt/gfr/ldj/sb
KEYWORD: XMAS TRADE VIC
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