Australians Spent $175 Billion Last Summer

Australian consumers spent $175 billion during the 2025/26 summer season, 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 as consumers continued to prioritise experiences and activities.

For small businesses, that $175 billion represents a concentrated period of consumer activity. The transaction data shows when and where consumers spent, and those documented peaks may help businesses align operations and promotion with them.

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.

Australians maintained seasonal traditions including Christmas celebrations, barbecues, long weekends and home entertaining. Lila Conomos, head of Westpac DataX, said 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 analysis draws on de-identified transaction data, showing how spending patterns shift across the year.

Visits to theme parks saw one of the most significant rises of the summer, 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.

Over the past summer, oOh!media's 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.

Mel Duffy, head of POLY strategy and partnerships at oOh!media, said the data shows there is a clear gap between consumer behaviour and media investment, and that brands need to be present when seasonal moments happen.

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.

Major spending moments are arriving earlier in the season, prompting marketers to rethink when and where they invest. The concentration of spending around Black Friday and Cyber Monday and the Australian Open creates predictable peaks that brands can plan around.