Afterpay will bring back its Mystery Market pop up on 14 August, adding a “pay it forward” element that will see each winner receive an identical prize to give away.
The one day Pitt Street Mall activation follows research commissioned by Afterpay showing 68% of Australians feel financial pressure limits their ability to be generous, with 72% cutting back on gifts due to cost of living impacts. Millennials reported the largest cutbacks at 80%.
The first 1,000 Afterpay customers to attend from 8am can select a mystery box containing two of the same prize — one to keep and one to gift.
The prize pool exceeds $200,000 and includes $5,000 Webjet vouchers, Nintendo Switch 2 consoles, Dyson Airwraps, Ninja Creamis and products from brands such as LSKD, Hommey, CROCS, Petbarn, Red Balloon and Prezzee.
Afterpay’s research reiterates that the instinct to give remains strong. It noted that if financial barriers were removed, most say their partner would be the first to receive a surprise gift (42%), followed by their mum (21%) and their children (19%). Furthermore, over 40% of Australians would love to gift their loved one a holiday or memorable experience.
Katrina Konstas, Country Manager at Afterpay, said: “We know that for so many Aussies right now, the spirit of generosity is strong, but financial pressures can make it difficult. The Pay It Forward Mystery Market was created to bridge that gap.
“This Afterpay Day, we wanted to create a genuine ‘double win’ – a prize for you, and the incredible feeling of gifting that same prize to a loved one, reminding everyone that the best moments are the ones we share.”
The event will launch the Afterpay Day sale, running 14–18 August, with discounts across participating brands.