Vinnies Victoria: Making Christmas gifting feel good again
The Project
Rising costs, crowded shops and the pressure of finding something meaningful have turned Christmas gifting into a source of stress, waste and quiet guilt. For Vinnies, this created an opportunity to shift the story and invite shoppers to rethink how they approach Christmas gifting this year.
THE CHALLENGE
Australians are increasingly comfortable buying second-hand, yet when it comes to gifting, pre-loved still isn’t seen as a deliberate or desirable choice. To understand how people really feel about Christmas gifting pressures – and their attitudes toward second-hand presents – we ran a national survey. The findings were clear: three in four Australians find the process stressful, and most receive at least one unwanted gift each year. The result is predictable – more waste, more guilt, and a sense that the ritual isn’t giving people what they want.
THE SOLUTION
The goal was to reframe Christmas gifting by positioning pre-loved not as a compromise, but as a smarter, more thoughtful way to give. The idea centred on a simple promise: pre-loved gifting is good for you (less financial pressure), good for them (unique, thoughtful gifts), and good for everyone (supporting communities and reducing waste).
This came to life through a Gift Good retail takeover. We designed a earned creative concept that was activated on a large scale in Vinnies’ Fitzroy Pop-up store and then rolled out statewide via curated Gift Good sections across the Vinnies retail network.
Social, influencers and sustained PR extended the idea beyond the shopfront and into the peak shopping season – reinforcing one message at every touchpoint: Christmas doesn’t have to come at a huge cost.
The Results
Post launch, one thing became clear very quickly: 2026 is the year of Thriftmas.
Across Victoria, Vinnies stores have recorded:
400,000+ customers served
+6% sales growth vs the same period last year
+4% increase in average customer spend
Nearly 7,000 new VIP Rewards members
Strong earned media coverage has fuelled the excitement, with the AFR, news.com.au, ABC Melbourne and WIN News syndications all driving more shoppers to choose op-shop gifts this Christmas.
To learn more about the Gift Good campaign and the survey results click here.
