Christmas shopping in Australia is getting bigger every year. So are the impacts on our wallets, our homes, and the environment. While Australians are expected to spend tens of billions of dollars in the lead-up to Christmas, a significant share of that spending results in gifts that go unused and eventually end up in landfill.
This year, we wanted to understand whether shopping habits were starting to shift. So we surveyed the OppSpot Instagram community to see how people are really thinking about gifting and decorating at Christmas.
What we found was encouraging.
An overwhelming 87 percent of respondents said they give secondhand gifts at Christmas, and even more, 94 percent, said they would like to receive secondhand gifts themselves. For many, secondhand gifting is no longer a backup option. It is a deliberate choice.
“Our OppSpot community don’t just thrift for themselves. They want to receive secondhand gifts too,” says Sophie Noonan, founder of OppSpot. “It’s not just about the cost saving, it’s about finding pieces with history and meaning.”
That mindset extends beyond what is wrapped under the tree. When it comes to styling the Christmas table, more than half of our respondents said they would consider buying secondhand items for their festive setup, and 43 percent already do. From vintage glassware to unique serving platters and linens, secondhand pieces are becoming a go-to for creating a memorable tablescape.
“Vintage pieces can add so much more charm to a Christmas tablescape than mass-produced pieces,” Sophie says. "They tell a story and help create something that feels personal rather than predictable.”
When asked which kinds of items are best suited to secondhand shopping, homewares came out well ahead. Sixty-two percent of respondents rated homewares as the best category to buy secondhand. Clothing followed at 23 percent, with accessories rounding things out at 15 percent. It reflects what many seasoned thrifters already know: homewares are often higher quality, better made, and designed to last, making them ideal for reuse.
These choices matter. Research from The Australia Institute shows that more than a quarter of Australians expect to receive gifts they’ll never use, with the total value of these unwanted presents estimated at more than $1 billion, much of which will ultimately become waste.
Choosing secondhand reduces the demand for newly made products and helps keep existing items in circulation for longer. It also cuts down on the environmental toll of traditional consumption: fewer new products mean fewer materials extracted, less energy used in production, and less waste created at the end of a product’s first life.
This Christmas, the question is no longer whether secondhand belongs in the festive season. It is whether we can afford to ignore it.
What stood out most from our survey was how normal secondhand shopping has become within the OppSpot community. Secondhand is no longer niche or alternative. It is thoughtful, intentional, and increasingly expected. For many Australians, the most meaningful gifts are the ones that carry a story.
As Christmas approaches, we’re reminded that gift giving doesn’t have to mean more waste. It can mean more connection, more intention, and more joy in giving something that’s already loved.