Australia’s Thirst for Celebration Turns to a Very Merry Christmas in July for Small Business
Australia’s post lockdown thirst for events, experiences and good times has seen a surge in consumer interest in Christmas in July events. While the customers rug up and line up for Christmas themed experiences, small business is taking innovative steps to serve this new market and combat the post “EOFY” and “winter doldrums” slump.
Post Lockdown Obsession with Experiential Activities
Formerly, Christmas in July was a niche celebration of all things “cold about Christmas”. Like so many of Australia’s big ticket events, the rush for tickets post-lockdown has been unprecedented. Major festivals like Woodford Folk Festival and The Abbey Medieval Festival both sold out fast, leaving punters disappointed and hungry for the next ticket. But it’s not just the big events selling out, the surge in interest in experiential activities extends to small business and local events, from niche festivals to immersive dining experiences.
Australia Rugs Up and Pays Up for Christmas in July
Deck the Halls, Australia’s hungry for a Merry Christmas in July. Tracking from Australia’s leading, dedicated Christmas media outlet shows not only a serge in events this winter Christmas, but more than tripling in web traffic year on year. With around 80,000 Google searches, crammed into just one month of the year, this is a lucrative, emerging opportunity for small businesses.
“We’ve never seen interest like this before. We were surprised by the surge in interest last year, but expected it to drop off this year, instead we’ve found the market is even hungrier for activities” said Janine Mergler, Editor of Christmas In Australia, the leading national media platform dedicated to all things jolly.
“Because it aligns also with winter school holidays, Christmas in July events have become events worth travelling for. We’re seeing more and more regional locations providing winter wonderland Christmas themed weekend packages and these events are selling out at record speed” Ms Mergler said.
Small Business Needs to be Creative
The most successful celebrations of Christmas in July in Australia are those that offer a unique experience. The Brisbane putt-putt provider that showers mini-golfers in snow as they play, the Dandenong Ranges businesses teaming up to provide a full immersive, Hallmark Film style “small town” experience. Go beyond cracking out the dusty tree and putting a turkey on the menu, get creative. The demand is there. Offer something unique and they will come.
