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The Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales event officially kicks off today with Black Friday, with the industry expecting to do big volumes over the weekend. 

According to the National Retail Association (NRA), the four-day event is set to generate $5.3 billion from November 27-30 including $1.8 billion in online sales. 

Meanwhile, research from ING suggests that 8.3 million Australians (41%) are planning to buy goods during the event, including an estimated 2.86 million (14%) who have never shopped the sales before. 

With COVID-19 fuelling online shopping adoption throughout Australia, the national postage carrier Australia Post is expecting a 30% increase in online purchases during the sales weekend. 

Accoridng to Australia Post, participation in online shopping has reached new heights this year, with more than 8.5 million households shopping online during the year, and the average household purchasing online almost twice as frequently as they did in 2019.

NRA CEO Dominique Lamb said that the sales are expected to create real momentum heading into the December shopping period. 

"The four days from Black Friday to Cyber Monday has emerged as one of the signature periods on the retail calendar.

"In 2020 businesses are very optimistic that it will generate real momentum as we head into December. 

"Each year we’re seeing more and more shoppers look to knock off the Christmas shopping earlier.

"This is in large part due to late-November sales events such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

"The growth in online sales has been accelerated by the pandemic, but we’re still expecting to see a lot of action in bricks and mortar stores.

"Digital purchases offer great convenience, but many consumers also crave a more wholesome shopping experience which can only be obtained in-store," she said. 

Australia Post executive GM community and consumer Nicole Sheffield added that the organisation is ready for higher than ever volumes from the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales.  

"With many retailers kicking off their sales early, and the 2020 Cyber sales encompassing more of the industry than ever before, we know the Australian eCommerce economy is in for a bumper weekend. 

"[In response,] we’re extending the opening hours for over 500 post offices, bringing additional facilities online, retraining 2700 posties including 2000 now delivering in vans, hiring 5000 more people to help, adding another 3000 vehicles to our national delivery fleet, and are now chartering 18 dedicated planes to transport parcels across the country.

"In a recent survey 58% of shoppers said they would look to complete their Christmas shopping in late November or early December, so it is clear many people are holding out for these sales. 

"We’re noticing as shoppers become more confident buying online and more familiar with the online shopping calendar, there is significant purchase concentration around key events," she said. 

According to ING's research, the key purchasing behaviours for shoppers this Cyber Weekend include; savvy purchasing, with 58% of Aussies surveyed aiming to save on items for moments they are preparing for, such as Christmas (48%), birthdays in 2021 (16%) and back to school items (13%); and, supporting local, with a third (33%) of respondents planning to buy from an Australian retailer, while a quarter (25%) will use the sales as an opportunity to 'give back' to struggling local businesses. 

Additionally, the research suggests that the majority of Australians will use the sales to shop for clothes (50%) and Christmas presents (48%), while tech (43%), toys (23%) and travel (13%) are also big on shopper wish lists. 

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