3 November 2026 · Issue 156
Smaller Baskets Before Black Friday
Australians have never spent more online, and they have never spent less each time they check out. New figures show a record $25 billion went on online shopping in the September quarter, while the average order fell to $90. With Black Friday just over three weeks away and the Reserve Bank deciding on rates this afternoon, the message for shoppers is simple: plan the big buys, and do not let a sale fill your cart for you.
Today’s brief leads on the new online shopping figures and what they mean for your Black Friday plan, then covers this afternoon’s rate decision, takeover talks at the owner of Kathmandu and Rip Curl, a David Jones update and Wednesday’s household spending figures. The retailer offers later in this issue are a separate, freshly verified selection from a disclosed partial scan.
Online spending is up, but baskets have never been smaller
CommBank’s newsroom reported on 2 November that new CommBank iQ analysis in the latest Australia Post eCommerce report found Australians spent $25 billion online in the September quarter, up 17% on a year earlier, across 8.4 million households. Over the same period the average online basket fell 6.8% to $90, the lowest level in the dataset. “Australians haven’t stopped spending online, but they are becoming more deliberate about where and how they spend their money,” CommBank iQ chief executive Simon Johnson said. The same release noted that last year’s Black Friday fortnight generated a record $23.8 billion in spending, 19.5% more than a typical two week period, and that basket sizes usually grow in November.
Australia Post’s quarterly eCommerce update for October says nine in ten shoppers plan to shop the sales despite cost of living pressure, that most people start their Christmas shopping in early November, and that 46% of shoppers would switch retailers for better value during peak sales. Queensland online spending grew 17.8% in the quarter, with Mackay and Toowoomba among the busiest online shopping locations in the country. Internet Retailing’s Sean Cao reported on 26 October that Australia Post general manager Chelsea O’Reilly said “shoppers are planning ahead and seeking value, but price is not the only priority”, with fast, flexible and reliable delivery increasingly important as peak season begins.
For shoppers, smaller baskets are a sensible habit to keep. Before Black Friday, write a short list of the few bigger items you actually need and note today’s price for each, so you can judge a sale price on its merits. Be wary of free delivery thresholds that tempt you to add items you did not plan to buy, compare the delivery fee and the returns policy along with the price, and check delivery dates now for anything that has to arrive before Christmas.
Rate decision this afternoon
The Reserve Bank’s calendar shows the decision and the new Statement on Monetary Policy are due at 2.30pm Sydney time today, Melbourne Cup Day (1.30pm in Queensland), with Governor Michele Bullock’s media conference an hour later. Capital Brief’s Jennifer Duke reported on 1 November that economists and markets overwhelmingly expect the cash rate to rise to 4.85%, and that CommBank economists said there were “no guarantees” the decision would be unanimous. ABC News’ Emilia Terzon wrote in this morning’s live business blog that a fifth rise this year, to 4.85%, would take the cash rate to its highest setting in 18 years. Our Monday brief set out what a 0.25 point rise could add to typical home loan repayments. If rates do rise, set your Black Friday and Christmas budget tonight, after the higher repayment is taken out.
Kathmandu and Rip Curl owner in takeover talks
KMD Brands told the ASX on 2 November that it has entered an exclusivity agreement with US consumer brand group Bluestar Alliance, allowing it to carry out due diligence on a possible deal to buy all of the shares in KMD, with a long stop date of 23 December 2026. The company said there is no certainty the talks will lead to a binding proposal or a transaction. The Australian Financial Review’s Carrie LaFrenz reported that Bluestar owns surfwear brand Hurley and last year bought workwear label Dickies, and The Sydney Morning Herald’s Elias Visontay reported that KMD shares jumped about 10% on Monday afternoon after falling almost 60% over the past year. Nothing changes for Kathmandu or Rip Curl shoppers today: stores, online orders, warranties and gift cards carry on as normal.
David Jones: accounts late, gift cards working
Nine’s Jo Abi reported on 1 November that some shoppers could not redeem David Jones gift cards over the weekend. Nine was told this was caused by a global outage at GiveX, the third party platform behind the cards, and that the service has since been restored. A David Jones spokesperson said the business does not comment on speculation and is in advanced discussions with key stakeholders, including a review of its store portfolio. Retail expert Gary Mortimer told 9News, “I think what we will see is a smaller footprint of David Jones stores.” The Australian Financial Review’s Street Talk column reported on 30 October that owner Anchorage Capital Partners is in advanced talks with landlords about cutting the 38 store network by more than half. Overnight, The Australian Financial Review’s Carrie LaFrenz reported that David Jones missed the 30 October deadline to file its 2026 accounts with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission because auditor PwC has not yet signed off, and that it is pursuing the closure of loss making stores, including five in Westfield centres. Street Talk also reported on 2 November that Seed Heritage will send its holiday stock to its own stores instead of David Jones. No closures have been confirmed. If you hold a David Jones gift card or store credit, plan to use it in the coming weeks and keep your receipts.
Household spending figures on Wednesday
The Australian Bureau of Statistics will release its Monthly Household Spending Indicator for September at 11.30am Sydney time on Wednesday 4 November (10.30am in Queensland). Coming the day after the rate decision, it will show how much households were spending in the month inflation jumped, and retailers will be reading it closely ahead of Black Friday.
Today’s shopping note
Keep the basket small and the list short. If a retailer offers free delivery over a set amount, only add items that were already on your list. Read “up to” as a range claim, and confirm size, stock, delivery cost and exclusions before paying.
Our scan records unsuccessful checks as well as successful ones. A retailer page being retrieved is not enough to establish that every offer, item or delivery condition has been verified.
Primary reporting sources: CommBank Newsroom, 2 November 2026 (Simon Johnson quoted); Australia Post Quarterly eCommerce Update, October 2026; Internet Retailing, Sean Cao, 26 October 2026 (Chelsea O’Reilly quoted); Reserve Bank of Australia calendar; Capital Brief, Jennifer Duke, 1 November 2026; KMD Brands ASX announcement, 2 November 2026; The Australian Financial Review, Carrie LaFrenz, 2 November 2026 (two reports); ABC News, Emilia Terzon, 3 November 2026; The Sydney Morning Herald, Elias Visontay, 2 November 2026; Nine.com.au, Jo Abi, 1 November 2026 (Gary Mortimer quoted); The Australian Financial Review, Street Talk, Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Angira Bharadwaj, 30 October and 2 November 2026; Australian Bureau of Statistics release calendar. Shopper advice and synthesis by Neil Fairhead for It’s On Sale. Hero photo: Chris Olszewski, Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (Australia Post Parcel Lockers, Indooroopilly Shopping Centre, Queensland).
Top 5 Deals of the Day
Five stores. Five categories. The strongest discounts we verified on in stock items from our 2 November retailer scan, with every price rechecked this morning, 3 November.
We attempted all 179 retailer sale URLs in our 2 November scan pool and retrieved usable sale content from 144. The remaining pages could not be verified after fallback checks and are excluded. This is a disclosed partial scan, not a complete audit of every Australian retailer. Retrieval does not mean an offer was fully verified: this ranking includes only eligible stores where we confirmed a ticketed sale price against a was price on an item listed as available when checked. Generic sale descriptions, unresolved price evidence and same category duplicates are excluded. Each percentage is the verified example shown, not a discount on every item in store. Offers and stock can change.
Discount
Lee MathewsDesigner FashionAustralian designer sale. The Cooper Mini Skirt in Blue is $44.10 from $429 (about 90% off), listed as available in sizes 1 and 3 only when checked. Check the Lee Mathews size guide before you buy, as other sizes have already gone.90%OFF2
Culture KingsStreetwearMenswear sale. The Majestic Athletic Philadelphia Eagles Champs Serial Mono Hoodie in Black is $30 from $119.95 (about 75% off), listed as available in sizes S and M when checked. A gift idea for the NFL fan, if the size is right.75%OFF3
Shoes & SoxKidsKids sale. A six pack of Shoe Lace Clips in Gradient Rainbow is $5 from $14.95 (about 67% off), listed as available when checked. A small stocking filler that fits the record low basket trend.67%OFF4
WorkwearHubWorkwear & SafetyWorkwear sales. ProChoice 6300 Series safety glasses with a clear lens are $6.45 from $14.95 (about 57% off), listed as available when checked. Worth a look for a home workshop or garden kit before summer jobs start.57%OFF5
Strand BagsBagsBags sale. The Evity Kaia Weave Medium Shoulder Bag is $119 from $249 (about 52% off), listed as available when checked. Note this price now, then compare it with any Black Friday offer on the same bag.52%OFF% discounts shown are for the verified example in each card. Individual product savings vary.
One More Category Worth a Look
Dreamworld LEGO: if a LEGO set is on a Christmas list in your house, the LEGO Icons of Play set is $118.99 from $169.99 (30% off), listed as available when checked. It is exactly the kind of gift to price now and compare again on Black Friday.