It's official: Black Friday has taken over from Boxing Day in becoming Australia's #1 sale event on the shopping calendar.
How do we know this? We asked over a thousand everyday Aussies about the end-of-year sales and half said they were waiting for Black Friday deals to start. In comparison, only 32% said they'll shop the Boxing Day sales in December. In fact, 74% of our respondents said they wait for sales before buying something, knowing it will likely be cheaper during the end-of-year discounting.
This survey – which is part of the latest Consumer Confidence Report from Future Publishing Australia (TechRadar's publisher) – also found that 55% of Aussies plan to get their Christmas prezzie shopping done during end-of-year sales to save money.
That's not at all surprising considering Black Friday 2024 falls on November 29 and the sale, which carries on till Cyber Monday, will end on December 2 – perfect timing to get all those gifts sorted without needing to plan too far ahead.
Planning ahead, though, is what many Australians are doing. Of the 1,002 people we surveyed, 37% of our respondents said they start thinking about Christmas 1-3 months ahead, while 29% begin planning over three months in advance.
What people want
So, what are Aussies planning to buy this Black Friday?
According to our survey, the most sought-after products are hefty investments like new smartphones, TVs, vacuum cleaners and larger household appliances like fridges and washing machines.
Interestingly, most of our respondents – 59% of them to be precise – would love to pick up one of the best smartwatches this Black Friday. The other products on Aussie wish lists are smartphones (53%), headphones (48%), video games (47%), laptops (46%), tablets (41%) and sound systems (32%).
Given we've been covering Australia's Black Friday sales for over 8 years now, we can confidently say that all of the above, and more, will see steep discounts in November and December. As before, we'll be on hand to hunt down the deepest discounts from the most trusted retailers in our dedicated Black Friday 2024 sales page, making it easier for you to quickly find the best deals in the lead up to Christmas.
What the TechRadar Australia team wants
The team here at TechRadar Australia is also eagerly waiting for Black Friday deals to kick off. From a AU$140 audio accessory to camera lenses that cost about AU$2,500 – we know it's a good time to pick up the little and big things at a fraction of their original price. Between those two spectrums, here are some of the things the team is waiting to buy.
Withings ScanWatch Nova
I'm a little bored with the 'squircle' design of my Apple Watch, plus the 18-hour battery life is really not helping. I want a smartwatch that looks, well, smart and gives me more battery life, plus ECG monitoring when I need it. Combining the best of both worlds is the Withings ScanWatch Nova. It's steel chassis and strap, plus a 30-day battery life have me champing at the bit to pick up the Blue colourway if the price drops this Black Friday.
- Sharmishta Sarkar (Managing Editor, APAC)
iFi Go Link
I love my music, and I now have a subscription to Qobuz which has a huge catalogue of albums in high resolution. But to listen to those albums from my iPhone 15 Pro in glorious hi-res, I need a USB-C DAC, and the iFi Go Link is the perfect option. It’s tiny to make on-the-go listening a walk in the park and can support hi-res music streams to send through a wired pair of headphones. Fortunately, my daily Sonos Ace over-ears come with a 3.5mm to USB-C cable, so I can connect them to the iFi Go Link with no trouble at all. The Go Link can already conceivably be called affordable, but a Black Friday discount will seal the deal for me.
- Max Langridge (Senior Writer – Audio & Home Entertainment)
Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2
I play a lot of video games on my PC, and as somebody who would consider himself an enthusiast, I'm keen on getting the best-of-the-best gadgets and tech for when I'm playing racing and third-person exploration games alike. That's why I'm really hoping that the Xbox Elite Controller (Series 2) goes on sale this Black Friday; I already bought one when it first came out and it's starting to show its age, particularly after being treated quite roughly as my controller-on-the-go without a dedicated carry case. I'll be looking out for the model with all the extra components rather than the cheaper 'Core' edition, as I want those extra joysticks and back buttons.
- Zac Kelly (Staff Writer – Phones)
TP-Link Deco BE85 Mesh Wi-Fi 7
Call me a geek but I'd love to get me super-fast mesh Wi-Fi with up to 22Gbps throughput, so I can rapidly copy files to and from my NAS using its 10G Ethernet port. And so my home Wi-Fi is ready for 1Gbps FTTP NBN speeds (and beyond) when I upgrade, I'd love this router, which usually costs a whopping three grand for a three-pack.
- Lindsay Handmer (Senior Writer – Computing)
Ninja Creami NC300
I like to eat as healthy as I can, but a delicious pint of ice cream is the devil on my shoulder – and the flavour-to-cost ratio on healthier options means they aren't a suitable alternative. With the Ninja Creami, I can have the best of both worlds. By whipping up a frozen dessert at home, you know exactly what's going into it, letting you tailor it perfectly to your health goals and taste buds. I missed it when it came down to AU$242 in May, and I'm hoping Black Friday will be the time to grab it.
– Max Delaney (Staff Writer)
