Across Australia, ‘touching base’, ‘thinking outside the box’ and ‘picking up the momentum’ are all common phrases thrown around the office daily that typically aren’t used outside of the workplace. Accounting software company, Reckon, wanted to get the ‘big picture’ on Aussie work jargon in the workplace. To do so, Reckon surveyed 1,000 Australian office workers to reveal the most frequently used and most commonly hated phrases.

Aussie work jargon

‘Touch base’ has been named the most commonly used corporate jargon phrase in Australian offices. While ‘touch base’ is the most commonly used jargon among women (54.2%), ‘get the ball rolling’ was the most frequently used phrase among men (45.8%). ‘Touch base’ was also the most used corporate jargon among Gen Z (40%), followed by ‘get the ball rolling’ (39%) and ‘I hope this email finds you well’ (38%). 

‘Ducks in a row’ is named the most hated corporate jargon in Australia. On the other hand, ‘In the loop’ is revealed as the least-hated jargon, with only 5.3% of Aussies stating they dislike the phrase. While ‘touch base’ was named the most commonly used jargon, one in ten Aussies stated they disliked the phrase. 

Key findings:

• 7 out of 10 office workers in Australia use corporate jargon to communicate in the workplace. 
• Those aged 25-35 are most likely to use corporate jargon, with 80% of those surveyed stating they use corporate jargon at work, compared to only 64% of those aged 55-64.
• The most common reasons Australians gave for using corporate jargon were ‘to save time and have more efficient communication in the workplace’ (52%), ‘they picked it up from colleagues naturally and don’t realise they use it’ (48%) and ‘to fit in with colleagues and stakeholders’ (36%).
• 1/3 of office workers enjoy using corporate jargon or like using it when appropriate (39%).
• 1/5 of workers (21%) express negative feelings towards the use of corporate jargon in the workplace. 
• A quarter (24%) or participants said they find corporate jargon confusing or difficult to understand.

You can view the full study here: www.reckon.com/au/small-business-resources/corporate-jargon-survey

In a surprising twist to the annual Christmas hiring spree, Australian retailers and hospitality businesses are enlisting the help of behavioural experts to navigate an increasingly complex job market. After peaking post-COVID and declining for over a year, Christmas casual roles have surged 11% since July. They’re now at their highest point in 12 months*, and employers face unprecedented challenges in securing quality staff.

The tight labour market, marked by Australia’s unemployment rate holding steady at 4.2% in August, has created a perfect storm for businesses looking to staff up for the holiday rush. In addition, the rise of AI-powered job application tools has made companies find themselves in uncharted waters.

“It’s a whole new ballgame,” says Scott Taylor, Founder and CEO of Praesidium Risk and Resilience. “With candidates using AI tools like ChatGPT for resume and interview preparation, it’s harder than ever for employers to identify applicants with the right intent and integrity.”

Taylor, who has trained with world-leading behavioural experts, including former FBI personnel, is at the forefront of this new approach to seasonal hiring. He advocates for a return to face-to-face interviews focusing on situational and emotional intelligence.

“Businesses must select the best people to represent their brand and values over the Christmas peak,” Taylor explains. “The best way is to conduct in-person interviews that go beyond the standard questions.”

Key strategies for effective hiring include:

1. Asking probing questions about conflict resolution and personal growth
2. Observing candidates’ body language and communication style
3. Being prepared to discuss organisational culture and values

Employers should be attuned to subtle cues during interviews:

• Red Flags: “Watch for people’s speaking rhythm – people speed up when they don’t want to talk about something,” Taylor advises.
• Green Lights: Confident candidates “take space” with open postures and relaxed demeanours.

For job seekers navigating this new landscape, Taylor recommends demonstrating confidence through body language and asking thoughtful questions about company culture.

As retailers brace for the holiday rush, the stakes have never been higher. With minimal due diligence time, businesses realise that the initial interview is more critical than ever.

“Retailers need to base everything on that first meeting,” Taylor emphasises. “You’re bringing someone in who will protect your reputation and brand. It’s worth taking the time to get it right.”

In a season traditionally marked by quick hires and high turnover, this shift towards a more nuanced, people-centric approach could revolutionise the Christmas casual experience—for businesses and employees alike.

As the summer sun heats up, so does the competition for quality seasonal staff. In this new era of AI-assisted job hunting and behavioural analysis, one thing is clear: the face of Christmas casual hiring in Australia is changing, and savvy businesses are leading the charge.

Square has today launched Coolroom Confessional, a new podcast sponsored by American Express, that shares behind the scenes stories from the hospo industry and aims to be a valuable resource and support for the sector as it contends with the current economic environment.

Hosted by Australian food writer, critic, and broadcaster Melissa Leong, and created by award-winning podcaster and Social & Content Lead at Square, Jay Ooi, Coolroom Confessional connects some of Australia’s best known hospo operators with up-and-comers to provide actionable advice on how to navigate and succeed today and into the future. 

“Our pubs, cafes, restaurants are the beating hearts of our neighbourhoods. But, it’s obvious that things are really hard right now,” Leong says. “I choose to be optimistic, though. This project taps into hospitality’s best quality: to share. Whether it’s a good meal, or advice, experiences and knowledge, this project is about connecting community and being a catalyst for constructive conversation.” 

Coolroom Confessional is created by Jay Ooi, an award-winning podcaster behind Shoes Off, a podcast about Asian Australian identity and You Have Been Told a Lie which followed the story of the Nadesalingam family who were seeking asylum in the community of Biloela in Outback Queensland. 

“Square partners with some of the most inspiring and unique hospo venues across Australia, and while they each have different stories, there are a lot of shared challenges,” Ooi says. “It’s been really gratifying to bring these businesses together to help them learn from each other, and hopefully give inspiration to the rest of Australia’s hospo industry.”

Over the course of the first series, Coolroom Confessional features founders to learn their business stories, challenges they’ve faced, and how they’ve overcome them. These operators are then connected with industry experts and other business owners who have succeeded – or failed and learned. Those hospo heavyweights featured on the first season of Coolroom Confessional include the likes of dessert kings Gareth Whitton of Tarts Anon (winner of Dessert Masters) and Reynold Poernomo of KOI (runner up of Dessert Masters); founder of Boost Juice Bars, Janine Allis; and the founder of several Melbourne institutes including Bar Liberty, Falco Bakery and Capitano, Michael Bascetta. 

Coolroom Confessional is hosted on Square’s publication The Bottom Line (along with show notes and information about featured guests and bonus extras), and is available on all major podcast platforms. 

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• Overcast
• YouTube
• Amazon Music

Optus, Australia’s leading geostationary (GEO) satellite owner and operator, has today announced its new status as an authorised reseller of Starlink high-speed, low-latency internet. The new service, which will be called Satellite Internet for business, will offer enterprise and small business customers fast, uncapped, reliable high throughput Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite broadband connectivity regardless of how many employees are at a company.

The solution will support businesses wherever they are in Australia as long as they have a clear view of the sky and a Starlink Business Kit. The service also comes with full Optus support offering customers a one stop shop for installation, billing, troubleshooting, and help-desk services along with prioritised support from Starlink’s help-desk.

Ben Vella, Vice President Enterprise and Mid-Market at Optus, said, “This is a great example of Optus connecting more Australians and providing options to our enterprise and business customers across Australia. We know that small and medium sized businesses are the backbone of the Australian economy and at Optus we are committed to ensuring they are supported in our digital world.”

Optus’ enterprise and business customers will have prioritised data adding further resiliency during extreme weather performance with Priority Fixed or on the move Priority Mobility offerings, so customers can be confident that they will have the necessary bandwidth when they need it most, whether it be in regional Australia or out of metro areas. Optus’ Satellite Internet for Business is a key form of redundancy offering an always-on back up safeguard against fire, floods, natural disasters.

Vella added, “Our customers depend on Optus to adapt at the speed of technology to meet their evolving needs and this is a great example of how Optus is pushing boundaries by empowering Australia’s positive connections, while putting customers at the heart of what we do.”

Optus Satellite Internet for Business is available to customers today, and offers high-speed, low-latency broadband internet to businesses across Australia, even in the most rural and remote locations.

Eight small restaurants in Melbourne and five in Sydney have each secured grants of AUD $21,500 as winners of the American Express Backing International Small Restaurants grant program – back for its third year. 

Robert Tedesco, Vice President of Global Merchant Network Services for American Express Australia and New Zealand, said: “This year we expanded Backing International Small Restaurants to include venues from Melbourne and Sydney and we received an incredible response with a record number of applications across both cities. Since its inception, the program has delivered almost $520,000 directly to small Australian dining venues, helping them to continue delivering meaningful contributions to their customers and community.” 

Run in partnership with the International Downtown Association (IDA) Foundation and supported by Mainstreet Australia, small restaurant owners were invited to apply for grants each valued at AUD $21,500 to put towards expenses or improving their business. 

David Downey, Executive Director, IDA Foundation, said: “We are thrilled to announce the third cohort of restaurants selected for the Backing International Small Restaurants program. This year, we’ve expanded our reach to nine cities globally through the continued generosity of American Express. We are proud to empower these extraordinary restaurants to thrive and strengthen the fabric of their neighbourhoods.” 

Suresh Manickam, CEO of Restaurant & Catering Australia, said: “Small restaurant owners have been working harder than ever and these grants will help alleviate some of financial pressure they’re facing. The American Express Backing International Small Restaurants program is a very worthy program and has contributed more than half a million dollars to Australian venues since it began here three years ago, which reflects a company that is truly backing business and community.” 

Owners of one of the winning businesses, Rising Sun Workshop in Sydney, said the grant came at the perfect time for their business, which provides a unique communal space in Sydney’s vibrant Newtown where motorcyclists can work on their bikes while enjoying a coffee or meal, including some of the most sought-after ramen in the city. 

“Rising Sun Workshop is about breaking down the barriers of urban living, where people often don’t know their neighbours. We created this space to give city people a place to work on their bikes and it has grown into something much bigger—a community where everyone feels welcome. It’s more than a workshop or a restaurant—it’s a space where strangers can connect, share stories and help each other out. In a city where people can feel disconnected, we wanted to create a place where asking for help or offering a hand was second nature,” said Rising Sun Workshop co-founder Heleana Genaus. 

“The Backing International Small Restaurants grant from Amex is helping us to keep improving our operations by making some much-needed changes to the kitchen and storage areas, which we wouldn’t have been able to make without it.” 

Another winner, Sue and Dale Messina from Bojak Brewing, a 75-seater brewery in Dandenong that was forced to close for much of two years following the Covid pandemic, is using their grant to upgrade equipment and facilities in their business. 

“This American Express grant is great because it’s helping us afford improvements that we couldn’t otherwise. We’re excited to be able to install permanent gas heaters in the outdoor beer garden, making it a perfect year-round spot for families and beer lovers alike. The grant is also enabling us to invest in new kitchen flooring and better equipment like a new density meter to provide more precise measurements and streamline the brewing process, as well as a carton box-taper to improve efficiency when packaging beer.” 

Globally, the program has more than doubled the annual grant funding to US $1 million (AUD $1,486,000), up from US $435,000 (AUD $647,000) last year, and expanded its support to restaurants in nine cities around the world.   

Seventy small and independently owned restaurants will receive grants of up to US $15,000 each. This year’s program is reaching four new cities – Manchester, Melbourne, Montreal, and Osaka – in addition to London, Mexico City, Sydney, Tokyo, and Toronto which were already a part of the program. Since its inception in 2022, the Backing International Small Restaurants program has provided funding to more than 135 restaurants. Learn more about the 2024 Backing International Small Restaurants grantees here.   

Adobe has brought together the global creative community for the kickoff of Adobe MAX 2024 – the world’s largest creativity conference – where it introduced over one hundred new Creative Cloud features, including groundbreaking capabilities powered by Adobe Firefly that offer creators unprecedented power to create, collaborate and conceptualise ideas while empowering them to work more productively. Major updates to Adobe Express and an all-new Frame.io deliver new workflows to streamline collaboration for creative teams and their stakeholders. Adobe announced a new Firefly Video Model (beta) and breakthroughs in its Firefly Image, Vector and Design models, delivering significant enhancements to its family of generative AI models that are designed to be commercially safe.

For enterprises, Adobe announced the general availability of GenStudio for Performance Marketing, the latest application within Adobe GenStudio, an end-to-end content supply chain solution that optimises the process of planning, creating, managing, activating and measuring content for marketing campaigns and personalised customer experiences.

“We’re giving the creative community a powerful new brush to paint the world by putting unprecedented power, precision and creative control in their hands,” said David Wadhwani, president, digital media at Adobe. “With the demand for content projected to grow exponentially, we’re empowering creators to scale the use of their content across marketing, HR and sales teams.”

Creative Power and Expressiveness

• Adobe Firefly: Adobe extended its family of generative AI models with the introduction of Firefly Video Model (beta), which enables creators to generate video from text and image prompts, extend video clips and smooth out transitions including deep integration into Premiere Pro. Adobe also announced the latest evolution of Firefly Image 3 Model which generates images four times faster. The latest breakthroughs in the Adobe Firefly Vector Model provide more creative control to designers using Adobe Illustrator. Enhancements to Firefly Services and Custom Models for enterprise customers are being leveraged by leading global brands like Deloitte, Gatorade, IBM, IPG Health and Mattel to speed up and scale content production for a variety of marketing use cases. Firefly, which is designed to be safe for commercial use, has now been used to generate more than 13 billion images.
• Photoshop: Adobe announced several new capabilities to empower the creative community to bring their visions to life with more power, speed and control including new Distraction Removal smart technology to help remove people, wires, poles and other distractions from images; Generative Workspace (beta) that helps designers ideate, brainstorm, and iterate concepts simultaneously; a new Substance 3D Viewer (beta) that offers new ways for graphic designers to view and edit 3D objects while working with 2D designs in Photoshop; and the general availability of features like Generative Fill, Generative Expand, Generate Similar and Generate Background powered by Firefly’s Image 3 Model.
• Illustrator: Adobe’s new capabilities for designers include Objects on Path to empower users to quickly attach, arrange and move an object along any path of their art board, Enhanced Image Trace to make it easier and faster to convert images to vectors and Generative Shape Fill (beta), powered by the Firefly Vector Model, which empowers designers to save time while quickly adding detailed vectors to shapes to create unique designs. Adobe also announced a beta of Project Neo, a web app first previewed at MAX last year that has been incredibly well received by the community and helps designers seamlessly create and edit 3D designs.

Content Creation at Scale

• Frame.io: Adobe announced the general availability of an all-new version of Frame.io which builds on its industry-leading video post-production capabilities and expands to support collaboration in audio, photo, design and other creative workflows. The new version adds Canon, Nikon and Leica to Frame.io’s Camera to Cloud ecosystem – the fastest, easiest and most secure way to get media from the set to the people who need to work with it.
• Express: Adobe also announced new enterprise capabilities to supercharge employees with AI, enable every team with access to approved assets and enable businesses to protect their brand. At MAX, Adobe showcased these features and demonstrated how Express helps creative professionals extend the power of apps like Photoshop and Illustrator. It further demonstrated how Express makes it seamless for creative teams to take the content they’ve created and enable marketing, sales, HR, communications and other teams to do more with it.
• GenStudio: Adobe announced the general availability of Adobe GenStudio for Performance Marketing, the latest enterprise application within Adobe GenStudio. GenStudio is Adobe’s end-to-end content supply chain solution that brings together an integrated set of Creative Cloud and Experience Cloud applications, empowering brands to optimise their content supply chains and meet the rising consumer demand for personalised content. GenStudio for Performance Marketing is a self-service, generative AI-first application that will empower brands to get the most out of the content created by their creative teams when assembling paid social ads, marketing emails and display ads at scale, with greater agility and the benefit of data-driven insights. It brings together creative teams – who define the foundational look and feel of a brand – with marketing teams, who need to deliver variations at scale for demanding channels such as social media and mobile. Expanded partnerships with Google’s Campaign Manager 360, Meta, Microsoft Advertising, Snap and TikTok will soon enable brands to activate campaigns instantly across platforms and make timely adjustments via direct performance insights.

Creative Exploration and Ideation

Adobe showcased new ways for creators to ideate and explore concepts and ideas, combining the power of AI with the power of their imagination. This included previewing Project Concept, a new capability for multiplayer, collaborative creative concept development, bringing the ability to remix images in real time so creative professionals can concept live in a single canvas. Additionally, Photoshop’s Generative Workspace (beta) helps designers ideate, brainstorm and iterate concepts simultaneously, so creators can achieve their vision and produce stunning visuals faster and more intuitively than ever before.

Empowering the Next Generation

In addition to introducing new product features, Adobe announced a new global initiative aimed at helping 30 million next-generation learners and teachers develop AI literacy, content creation and digital marketing skills using Adobe Express to thrive in the modern workforce. We’re expanding Adobe Digital Academy and working with education partners and nonprofits to provide training, certifications and career pathways. Adobe has committed more than $100M this year through donations, scholarships, product access and partnerships to enable people and organisations around the world to tell their stories and unleash creativity for all.

Square has announced the winners for its second edition of The Square 50, an annual awards program dedicated to championing businesses that are changing the entrepreneurial game in their respective fields. Businesses were nominated for their innovation, growth, sustainability efforts, community impact, and experience curation.

After thousands of nominations worldwide, 50 businesses were selected from around the world with nine from Australia. Those local honourees were:

• Brooki Bakehouse, the viral Fortitude Valley based business that’s expanding its cookie delivery business with in-store experiences;
• Sorrento Pizzeria which brings authentic Napoletana pizza to Empire Bay on NSW’s Central Coast;
• Rocky Ridge Brewing, a Margaret River-based microbrewery with a focus on sustainability;
• ILZA, a rapidly growing Japanese restaurant and café based in Melbourne;
• Little Lagos a Sydney restaurant building a community centred around good Nigerian food;
• The Keep, a remote, boutique couples retreat in North East Tasmania;
• Pasta’bah, a paddock-to-plate and regenerative farming champion, as well as a pasta restaurant and retailer in the Northern Rivers of NSW;
• Floating Sauna, a business giving travellers the experience of going straight from a wood-fired sauna to a cold plunge in Tasmania’s Lake Derby, and;
• Simply Stunnin’ Hair, a Melbourne-based hair salon that offers community haircuts for anyone in need.

For Australia’s contingent of Square 50 honourees, the reaction was positive after a hard year.

Sorrento Pizzeria in Empire Bay in New South Wales was awarded for the authentic experience it gives its diners. Owner and head chef, Elia ‘Luigi’ Eliopoulou , says “winning Square 50 means everything to me. I gave up my marketing career a few years ago to pour my soul into honouring our families century old tradition started in Naples by my nonna. I feel that decision is more than vindicated with this award. My late mother Stella was the inspiration for Sorrento and taught me everything I know about resilience, traditional Napoletana pizza, and the importance of building community – this award is for her.”

Abbey Shepherd, the owner of Simply Stunnin’ hairdressers in Melbourne, was awarded for her community spirit. Abbey says that “winning the Square 50 feels like being handed a golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory! It’s a delightful affirmation of our hard work and dedication, and it energises us to keep pushing boundaries and striving for excellence.” The award, she says, “is like a boost of motivation that inspires us to dream even bigger and continue making a positive impact. It’s a celebration of passion, perseverance, and the power of community!”

Brooki Bakehouse was praised for its innovation and constantly evolving its business model to stay relevant and resilient. On her win, Brooke Saward, owner, says that “innovation is the name of the game for us and winning Square 50 is reward for all our hard work. From creating FOMO moments, like the launch of our now famous Almond Croissant cookie, to growing our brand awareness organically with a marketing budget of $0, our humble bakery has boomed. We now operate from a commercial kitchen and ship cookies to seven countries internationally, but it feels like we’re only just getting started.”

Nigel Reeves, owner of Floating Sauna on Lake Derby, says that he hopes being recognised among the Square 50 “will prove that any business, even one right at the bottom of the southern hemisphere, can make an impact.” Reeves’ business was commended for the experience it’s curated for customers. “I built the sauna by hand, with my dog and a cordless drill, and used the delays caused by COVID to fine-tune the product to make sure it was ready for when people were ready and able to get back into nature,” Reeves said. “And while experiencing the sauna is a major draw, we had to make sure the customer experience leading into discovering and booking a slot on the sauna was fine-tuned, that’s why working with partners like Square has been so important to us.”

“Small businesses around the world have had to navigate challenging economic environments over the past year and we’re delighted to shine a light on their innovation, drive, commitment and leadership,” says Colin Birney, Head of Business Development at Square in Australia. “And while every business is a winner to us, I’m particularly excited that we have nine businesses from Down Under represented across all categories for the Square 50. These are businesses that others in Australia can look to for inspiration.”

As the cost-of-living crisis persists, more than half (55%) of Australians are considering starting a small business in the next five years, driven by younger generations. Specifically, 38 per cent would start a side hustle, and 17 per cent would start a small business for their sole income. Overall, 68 per cent are motivated to top up their income. 

Over the last 12 months, Australian Living Cost Indexes (LCIs) rose 3.7-6.2 per cent, with food, housing and insurances being the main contributors¹. Half (51%) of people already receiving income support are now skipping meals due to increased prices while a staggering 71 per cent are cutting back on meat, fruit and vegetables². 

To find out whether Australians would consider starting a new business – even if it was a less serious side hustle – to generate extra income, business loan comparison platform Small Business Loans Australia commissioned a survey of an independent, nationally representative panel of 1005 Australians.  

Small business Loans Australia found that the younger the age group the more likely they are to start a small business for their main income in the next five years or a side hustle to complement their income. Half (51%) of under-25s would start a side hustle, closely followed by 49 per cent of 35-44-year-olds. 

The findings come as financial stress and economic anxiety impact Australians as young as 15-19 years old at triple the rate (31%) of previous years³. In the workforce, Australians spent an additional 24 million hours a month working than they did 12 months ago⁴.  

Small Business Loans Australia investigated the motivations among respondents, offering them seven reasons for starting a small business: better income, desire for more control and independence over their career growth, work-life balance, opportunity to fill a market gap, to create work they enjoy, opportunity for creativity, and to leave toxic work cultures or bosses. 

Few respondents were driven by market opportunities or filling service gaps (at 19%). Instead, 68 per cent of respondents are motivated to improve their income, followed by 56 per cent who are looking to enjoy their work. Achieving work-life balance motivated 48 per cent, while 37 per cent are seeking career control and creativity. Only 14 per cent aimed to leave a toxic work environment. 

The desire for better income is driven by 25-44-year-olds, who are more likely to have mortgages and families: three quarters (74%) of respondents aged 35-44 chose this reason, followed by 72 per cent of those aged 25-34.  

The desire for more independence and control over careers was important to Aussies starting out in the workforce. An equal 44 per cent of 18-24-year-olds and 25-34-year-olds valued this compared to just 24 per cent of people aged 55-64, who are more likely to be at the height of their career or nearing retirement.  

Alon Rajic, Founder and Managing Director of Small Business Loans Australia, says: “Overwhelmingly, Australia’s high cost of living is driving the motivation behind a desire for an additional income. With financial pressures mounting and no sign of easing, people realise they need to be find ways to meet their living expenses.  

“Small businesses enable them to earn more in the hours available around their main job. There is a certain amount of freedom and flexibility in small business, and that’s essential when you are starting something new and working around other employment.” The full SBLA study can be found here: https://smallbusinessloansaustralia.com/factors-driving-small-business-start-ups-in-australia/

Australians stuck in a prolonged cost-of-living crunch are starting their festive shopping increasingly early. New research from Shopify has revealed that most plan to finalise their holiday shopping lists by October (53%) and do the bulk of their shopping by November (58%). This trend is more pronounced for Australians with children living at home, with 70% finalising lists by October and 68% having done the bulk of their shopping by the end of November. 

Shopify surveyed 2,000 Australian consumers ahead of this year’s Black Friday-Cyber Monday (BFCM) sales, which once again projects to be a frenzy for consumers and retailers alike. Almost half (49%) of Australian consumers intend to do the majority of their holiday shopping that weekend (29 November to 2 December). 

The majority of Australians (56%) plan to set a “clear” spending budget, however 36% of Australians say they usually exceed their festive shopping budget. 

The biggest spenders this year project to be people that “cherish” the festive shopping season, comprising 9% of respondents. In second place are people with children living at home, who project to spend more than 2x as much as those with no kids or with kids that live out of home. It wouldn’t be a festive season without a grinch, a small minority of Aussies (10%) who “can’t stand” the holiday season and project to be the lowest spenders. 

“The ongoing hit to discretionary spending means consumers are being extremely strategic with their dollars, a reality reflected both at the till and in Shopify’s data,” said Paul Zahra, chief executive officer at the Australian Retailers Association. “Many discretionary retailers make the majority of their profits during the festive shopping season, but this evolution in consumer habits means they need to adapt how and when they prepare for an earlier gift purchasing period, accommodating customers who are searching for the best deals much earlier.”

Communicating deals to customers earlier helps retailers reach busy shoppers. While 39% of Australians have signed up to brand updates to get the best deals this BFCM, this flips to a majority for those looking to spend more than $430 (65%), young people 25-34 (57%), and parents with kids living at home (56%). 

“Merchants need to strategise around a longer sales season, as consumer behaviour shifts towards conscientious planning and away from spontaneity,” said Shaun Broughton, managing director JAPAC at Shopify. “We’ve observed that Australians planning to do the majority of their shopping online tend to start the process earlier than those planning to do it in store. Understanding when certain types of consumers will be planning and shopping can help retailers decide how to best communicate with their customers, manage operations and plan merchandising to maximise the festive shopping opportunity.” 

Key findings from Shopify’s latest research also reveal:

Value for money along with a personal touch is key for Australian shoppers: 

• Nearly a third (31%) of Australian shoppers are exclusively shopping for items at a reduced price or with a discount code. But in the vein of mindful shopping, a personal touch is also important, with 26% going to friends and family for authentic recommendations. 

Many are satisfied with deals, but buyers remorse hits one in five:  

• Sales and offers are highly valued, with 45% feeling satisfied with their ability to take advantage of deals, and 27% feeling they can buy higher quality items thanks to sales.
• However, a  quarter (24%) experience the January buyer’s remorse, feeling surprised by how much they’ve spent when they add it all up. What’s more, 16% find the start of the year harder due to their spending, while 14% decide ignorance is bliss – they don’t even look as they’d rather not know. A minority of 6% return or sell items they received or purchased to make some money back.

Hybrid shopping experiences are vital, according to consumers

• A hybrid approach to shopping is popular, with 63% buying small things online but going into stores for larger purchases. With 66% also searching for items online and then going in-store to get them, it demonstrates the need for Australian businesses to ensure a unified and consistent offering across commerce channels.
• Almost two in five (38%) consumers plan to evenly split their shopping online and offline, further creating a demand for unified commerce. Meanwhile 23% plan to do the bulk of their spending online, while 31% expect to do so in-store, rising to 37% of spontaneous purchasers – suggesting that brick-and-mortar merchants could benefit from offering in-store deals to this group.

Shoppers want practical technology-enabled experiences like price comparison tools, free returns and real-time tracking 

• When it comes to features and technology, shoppers said they’d be most interested in practical tools that can help them save money or time – with price comparisons the most used over the last twelve months at 36%. This is followed by mobile apps at 27% and real-time order tracking at 25%. 
• Fewer shoppers say they’re using innovative or emerging features like chatbots (6%), spatial commerce (5%), or virtual or augmented reality (5%), though this rises significantly among the youngest generation (18-24), at 13%, 11%, and 14% respectively using each of these tools. 

Family members far outpace celebrities when it comes to festive influence 

• When it comes to festive holiday shopping, families hold the most sway over shoppers, with 46% of Australians saying they are one of the top three ways decisions are made – significantly more than celebrities or influencers at 7%. 
• Meanwhile, people’s mood at the time of shopping plays a key role for one in three people (35%) as well as friends (35%) – more so than partners (25%).The role of different influences correlates with interest in the shopping seasons itself – those who cherish the holiday shopping experience note more influences like the above on their decision, while 52% of those who can’t stand it claim nothing influences them. 

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) launched ‘Together in Travel’ at its 2024 Global Summit in Perth, Western Australia today, a unique initiative aimed at providing support and resources to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) within the global Travel & Tourism sector. 

The ‘Together in Travel’ platform is designed to provide SMEs with the tools and resources they need to accelerate their business growth and ensure their voices are heard on a global scale. 

Through a dynamic and free-to-subscribe platform, Subscribers will have access to a wealth of content, networking opportunities, and educational programmes. 

Next year, the initiative will also introduce additional paid subscriber options, offering enhanced features and benefits to further support SMEs in their journey towards success.

Speaking at the global tourism body’s 24^th Global Summit in Perth, Western Australia, Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO said: “SMEs are a cornerstone of Travel & Tourism with millions of small enterprises providing services to customers, creating innovative start-ups and providing local knowledge to larger partners. 

For the first time ever, these SMEs can join a community to share ideas and tools to strengthen their businesses. 

The global tourism body is projecting a record-breaking year for Travel & Tourism in 2024, with the sector’s global economic contribution set to reach an all-time high of $11.1 trillion.

The sector also plays a crucial role in fostering entrepreneurship and bringing new ideas to Travel & Tourism. Some of today’s great companies began as ideas ‘at the kitchen table’. Some data suggests up to 80% of the sector comprises SMEs. This figure highlights the prevalence of SMEs in the sector and the growing need for a structured support system that can optimise productivity and impact.   

Matthew Upchurch, Vice Chair of Membership at WTTC and Chairman & CEO of Virtuoso, said: “The launch of the ‘Together in Travel’ community marks a significant milestone for WTTC in its mission to advocate for the interests of SMEs within the travel industry and drive positive change through meaningful engagement and support. 

“As the travel sector continues to navigate the challenges brought about by the global pandemic, initiatives like this are essential in building a more resilient and sustainable future for all stakeholders involved.”

Ryan Mossny, Co-Founder – Matagarup Zip+Climb, said “As a small business, accessing the vital resources and industry connections needed to thrive in the travel sector can be challenging. WTTC’s new initiative has come at a perfect time; through tailored support, we will be able to directly tackle our problem areas head-on, allowing us not only to survive but to thrive in an increasingly competitive market.”

As the leading global authority on the economic and social impact of Travel & Tourism, WTTC is committed to promoting sustainable growth and inclusive practices within the sector.

For more information about the community launch, visit Together in Travel www.togetherintravel.com WTTC www.wttc.org.