Australians Spent $175 Billion Last Summer

Australian consumers spent $175 billion during the 2025/26 summer season, marking a $9 billion or 5.4 per cent increase over the previous year, according to new analysis from Westpac DataX released by oOh!media Limited (ASX:OML). The findings build on oOh!media's proprietary research, which shows summer is Australia's biggest spending season, a pattern that continued despite cost-of-living pressures. Discretionary spending hit $91 billion across the season, according to Westpac DataX, as consumers continued to prioritise experiences and activities.

What drove the surge in summer spending?

According to Westpac DataX, fashion, hospitality, travel and beauty continued to drive spending, alongside everyday categories such as supermarkets. Grocery spending hit $21 billion over the summer months, up $677 million on winter months, as Australians maintained seasonal traditions including Christmas celebrations, barbecues, long weekends and home entertaining. According to Lila Conomos, head of Westpac DataX, summer spending habits have proven remarkably resilient even as cost-of-living pressures weigh on household budgets, with people prioritising experiences and moments that matter. The de-identified transaction data provides a unique view into how spending patterns shift across the year, offering brands and marketers insight to pinpoint the right time and place to influence purchase decisions.

How did travel and tourism perform?

Domestic travel showed growth across the summer period, according to Westpac DataX. Visits to theme parks saw one of the most significant rises, increasing 30 per cent year-on-year as warmer weather drew more Australians outdoors. The great Australian road trip showed continued momentum, with 485,000 more people travelling long distances compared to the previous year. Travellers spent almost $6 billion in regional Australia and $7.8 billion across metro areas, according to Westpac DataX.

Which out-of-home formats saw the strongest growth?

According to oOh!media, over the past summer its brief value rose by 21 per cent, with stronger investment flowing into formats synonymous with seasonal movement and travel. Rail formats rose 29.1 per cent year-on-year, followed by Airports at 23.8 per cent and Street formats at 16.4 per cent, according to oOh!media. According to Mel Duffy, head of POLY strategy and partnerships at oOh!media, the data shows there is a clear gap between consumer behaviour and media investment and brands need to be present when seasonal moments happen.

What role did major cultural events play?

According to Westpac DataX, major spending moments are arriving earlier in the season, prompting marketers to rethink when and where they invest. Black Friday and Cyber Monday delivered $9.5 billion in spending across four days in 2025, up 4.5 per cent on the previous year, with shoppers spending the equivalent of $1.65 million every minute. During the Australian Open $2.8 billion was spent in Greater Melbourne, as local and international tennis fans were drawn to the first Grand Slam of the year.

How resilient is consumer spending amid cost-of-living pressures?

According to Westpac DataX, summer spending habits have remained resilient despite cost-of-living pressures. The 5.4 per cent year-on-year increase was reported alongside the observation that people continue to prioritise experiences and seasonal rituals, according to Westpac DataX.

What does this mean for marketing investment timing?

According to Westpac DataX and oOh!media, the arrival of major spending moments earlier in the season is prompting consideration of investment timing. The concentration of spending around Black Friday and Cyber Monday and the Australian Open creates predictable peaks that brands can plan around, according to the same sources.

Why it matters

For small businesses, the $175 billion summer spend reported by Westpac DataX represents a concentrated period of consumer activity. The data shows spending on experiences, travel, dining and seasonal traditions continued, with almost $6 billion in regional travel spend and $7.8 billion in metro areas, and $9.5 billion across Black Friday and Cyber Monday and $2.8 billion during the Australian Open period, according to Westpac DataX. Understanding when and where consumers spent, as shown in the transaction data, may help businesses align operations and promotion with documented peaks. The increases in Rail, Airports and Street formats reported by oOh!media reflect patterns of consumer movement during the period.