Queensland retail outlets have shaken off the doldrums to enjoy their best Christmas sales results in years.
Local retailers are joining their counterparts across the country in celebrating their best Christmas shopping period since before 2008's global financial crisis, according to the National Retail Association.
With just three days left before the jolly fat man in the red suit slides down chimneys across the globe, shoppers made a last minute dash to the nation's retail centres en masse this weekend, pouring an estimated $600 million into the economy in Queensland alone, NRA chief executive Trevor Evans said.
He said despite many people now choosing to do their shopping online, rather than braving the shopping centre crowds, retailers all over Australia had experienced five to six per cent growth on their previous year's Christmas period sales, a figure that had not been seen since before 2008.
"That's respectable growth, the kind of growth the retail sector could count on every year in better times, probably approaching what we used to consider standard or usual, which will make retailers very happy," he said.
"People are slowly and steadily moving out of this huge bias towards savings, some of the global economic challenges have subdued and people are not so much sitting on their wallets and purse strings.
"The residential property sector has also been more buoyant around Australia, so generally speaking people have a little more wealth and feel a little more positively about spending."
Mr Evans said while it was true more and more people chose to shop online, the declining Australian dollar had also impacted the numbers looking overseas for bargains.
"There is not a war between online and bricks and mortar shopping, online shopping continues to grow but 90 per cent of sales occur on the sites of Australian retailers.
"Only three to five per cent of Australian retail sales are made offshore. The currency is taking a dive, so it's much more expensive than it used to be to make purchases."
The resurgent retail trade appears to point to further proof of the buoyancy of the city retail sphere.
This year, the first Australian site of popular American fashion chain Forever 21 opened in the Queen Street Mall, along with the biggest store of Australian retailer Cotton On.
It follows an array of entries from high-end boutiques in the Edward Street and Queens Plaza precinct, the latest being the English fashion house Burberry and upmarket jewellery designer Paspaley.
World-renowned French fashion house Dior is also set to open its flagship Brisbane store in the mall in 2015.
Mr Evans said the big difference this year as opposed to previous years had been the increase in discretionary spending, which had bolstered the morale across the retail board.
"Retailers are busy at the moment, so they won't have much time to reflect but, this year, they have generally been more optimistic and that means they have been a little more willing to hire additional staff," he said.
"They are feeling a little more buoyant in their prospects for 2015 and that can dictate whether they can keep doors open or shut and whether they keep staff on or off."
