Australians plan to spend a little more over Black Friday Cyber Monday this year. They're just thinking harder about where the money goes.
Shopify's 2026 Holiday Retail Report puts the average planned spend for the weekend at A$346, up from A$324 in 2025. Globally, planned spending has edged down from US$192 to US$186.
Money is still tight for many people. The report found 54% of Australians say economic conditions have hurt their holiday shopping plans. And 85% would rather wait and buy the right product than settle for the easiest one, compared with a global average of 79%.
James Johnson, Head of Enterprise ANZ at Shopify, said: "Australians are still willing to spend this holiday season, but they're putting more work into deciding what's worth their money."
He added: "They're researching, weighing up more options and increasingly using AI to help them find products that fit what they're looking for."
AI joins the search
According to the report, 62% of Australians expect to use AI for at least one holiday shopping task, such as finding deals or discovering products. Among 25 to 34 year olds, 70% use it at least occasionally when shopping, compared with 45% of shoppers overall.
People are happy to let AI do the legwork, but not always the buying. Shopify found 41% are comfortable letting AI build their cart, while only 29% trust it to make a purchase for them.
Fleur Brown, Chief Industry Engagement Officer at the Australian Retail Council, said: "This peak season will be an important test of how AI fits into the way Australians shop. As more shoppers use these tools to compare products, discover new options and look for better value, trust will be critical. Retailers have an opportunity to use AI to make shopping easier and more relevant, but the fundamentals don't change; customers still need to feel confident that they're getting genuine value and making the right choice."
Retailers are already adjusting. Shopify says they are investing in content generated by AI (51%), virtual assistants (46%) and making their stores easier for AI tools to understand and recommend (45%).
Destiny Flaherty, Head of SEO at Princess Polly, said: "We're seeing shoppers plan earlier every year. Our customers build their wishlists well in advance so they're ready the moment offers go live. To capture attention, we're focused on getting the fundamentals right: competitive offers, clear and simple messaging, and a product selection that reflects what our customer actually wants to wear this season."
She said the brand has also changed how it thinks about search: "In terms of AI, search is moving from keywords to conversations, so we've built a dedicated AEO (answer engine optimisation) roadmap around that shift. It starts with our product data. Our customers expect the latest styles that genuinely match what they're looking for, so we're making sure every product carries the rich, accurate attributes and descriptions AI platforms need to surface it in the right context."
Value over discounts
Cheap isn't the only thing shoppers are after. About 57% of Australians define good value as getting higher quality than they expected for the price.
Price still plays a part. Almost a quarter (24%) put items in their cart and wait for the price to drop, which turns the cart into something closer to a watchlist.
Shopify found 54% of Australians are choosing independent or niche brands more often than last year. Among those who almost always use AI when shopping, 80% say the same, compared with 40% of Australians who don't use AI to shop.
Shopify notes the findings don't show that AI is causing the shift. About 15% of Australians say AI has helped them find a brand they hadn't heard of before.
Many small businesses are still working out their own use of the technology. Research from Deloitte, reported by Dynamic Business, found two thirds of Australian small and medium businesses use AI in some form, but just 5% are fully enabled to realise its potential benefits.