DIY projects, travel and food lead Easter holiday spend
Easter trading will provide a sweet boost for retailers with spending across food, travel and DIY projects expected to elevate the national retail economy this April. New data presented by the Australian Retailers Association in collaboration with Roy Morgan reveals comprehensive retail spending insights this Easter.
ARA Chief Industry Affairs Officer Fleur Brown says that while overall consumer spending remains subdued, Australians are continuing to spend on the things that matter most.
“Australians continue to choose to spend their hard-earned dollars on quality time with their loved ones during special events, travel and projects around the home.
“After an immensely challenging year, retailers across food and homeware sectors will be eagerly anticipating this Easter spending uptick as Australians turn their attention to home-maintenance projects,” she said.
DIY a focus for the Easter break
- 6.2 million Australians are planning to use the Easter break for DIY projects around the home, with a total spend of $6.7 billion nationwide, and an average spend of $1,082 per person, up $230 (+27%) on last year’s figures.
- In QLD, that figure is higher in the wake of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, with the state likely to see a cash injection of $2.2 billion across the category of DIY and homewares, up $400 million (+6.3%) on last year. This is compared to an expected spend of $1.7 billion in NSW, and $1.2 billion in VIC.
Travel takes off
- 4.55 million people – 100,000 more Australians than last year – are projected to use the Easter break for travel this year than in 2024, with an estimated spend of $11.1 billion on trips within their own state, interstate and overseas.
- Older generations are embracing the opportunity for an adventure, with one million people aged 50-64 and one million people aged 65 and over saying they will be travelling over Easter this year.
Sweet tooths prevail
- Australians can’t resist a sweet treat, with 15.2 million people planning to splurge on Easter food and chocolate this year – total food spend of $2.2 bn.
- NSW and VIC are set to receive the main share of Easter food spending, both at $710m, followed by QLD at $320m, WA and $270m, SA at $120m and TAS at $50m.
- People in Victoria are ready to spend $173 each, slightly higher than New South Wales ($148) – but both are above the national average of $145 each.
“Easter is also a perfect time to take a much-needed break with family and friends, which is what we are seeing Australians do this year,” Ms. Brown said.
“Retailers in popular holiday destinations are well-prepared for the Easter school holiday crowds, which will in turn add a further boost to the sector.
“We know that retailers and residents in cyclone-affected areas are continuing to feel the serious impacts of that recent natural disaster. We’re hopeful this Easter period offers some time for much-needed repairs.
“Aussies consume some of the highest quantities of chocolate in the world – from Easter Eggs to hot-cross buns, many Australians will indulge their sweet tooth in the coming weeks,” she said.
Media Enquiries:
M 0434 381 670
E media@retail.org.au.
This ARA-Roy Morgan Snap SMS survey was conducted with an Australian-wide cross-section of 2,041 Australians aged 18+ on Thursday March 13 – Monday March 17, 2025.
About the Australian Retailers Association (ARA)
The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is the oldest, largest and most diverse national retail body, representing a $430 billion sector that employs 1.3 million Australians and is the largest private sector employer in the country. As Australia’s peak retail body, representing more than 120,000 retail shop fronts and online stores, the ARA informs, advocates, educates, protects and unifies our independent, national and international retail community. To learn more about ARA’s exclusive member benefits and more, visit retail.org.au
About Roy Morgan
Roy Morgan is Australia’s largest independent Australian research company, with offices in each state, as well as in the U.S. and U.K. A full-service research organisation, Roy Morgan has over 80 years’ experience collecting objective, independent information on consumers. To learn more visit www.roymorgan.com.
Margin of Error
The margin of error to be allowed for in any estimate depends mainly on the number of interviews on which it is based. Margin of error gives indications of the likely range within which estimates would be 95% likely to fall, expressed as the number of percentage points above or below the actual estimate. Allowance for design effects (such as stratification and weighting) should be made as appropriate.
| Sample Size | Percentage Estimate |
| 40% – 60% | 25% or 75% | 10% or 90% | 5% or 95% | |
| 1,000 | ±3.0 | ±2.7 | ±1.9 | ±1.3 |
| 5,000 | ±1.4 | ±1.2 | ±0.8 | ±0.6 |
| 7,500 | ±1.1 | ±1.0 | ±0.7 | ±0.5 |
| 10,000 | ±1.0 | ±0.9 | ±0.6 | ±0.4 |
| 20,000 | ±0.7 | ±0.6 | ±0.4 | ±0.3 |
| 50,000 | ±0.4 | ±0.4 | ±0.3 | ±0.2 |
