QLD shoppers spend up big this Christmas

The Queensland Retailers Association (QRA) expects shoppers in the state will spend up big this Christmas.

QRA executive director Scott Driscoll said there was a slow start in sales at the beginning of this month but they are picking up now and should meet or exceed figures recorded last year.

“The majority of December so far would be pointing towards meeting and exceeding last year’s trade,” he said. “It’s positive and it’s strong and we would hope that would be the case in the biggest employment sector in the country so a lot more jobs can be protected.”

He believes Christmas shopping will pick up over the next week as the holiday draws closer and people – men in particular – rush to pick up last minute gifts.

“Men traditionally do wait a lot closer to the day and I think more and more are probably out just at the very last moment, so I think we’ve got a lot more to look forward to over the next week and a bit,” he said.