Afterpay has released its annual snapshot of what Australians added to cart in 2025, with the newly published Afterpaid 2025 Report capturing the retail mood of the nation through anonymised transaction data from 4.1 million customers.
The report highlights the products, experiences and contradictions that shaped consumer behaviour this year across fashion, beauty, tech, home and lifestyle.
From bag charms to bar carts, hotel stays to wheel alignments and LED masks to lube, the report points to a year defined by personal upgrades, self-expression and cultural microtrends driven by predominantly Gen Z and Millennial shoppers.
What Australia loved in 2025
Some of the most consistently purchased items on Afterpay included Booking.com hotel stays, Nike Tuned 1 sneakers, tickets to Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live and mycar wheel alignments.
These topped what Afterpay calls its Slay Score, a ranking of the year’s most in-demand purchases.
Not everything on the list was predictable. While Nike’s TNs and Labubu dolls continued their run, other curveballs included the viral Nespresso peppermint coffee that swept Gen X and Millennials, and a surprising rise in adult role-play costumes.
The mix, the report says, shows shoppers are leaning into delight and novelty just as much as utility.
Experiences continue to outpace possessions
Experiences led the most significant shift in consumer behaviour, with hotel bookings, festivals, boat parties and wine tours climbing sharply.
Hotels.com saw its purchases rise 73 per cent, and boat party tickets jumped 104 per cent. Afterpay says flexible payments are helping make previously premium experiences widely accessible.
The fashion contradictions that defined the year
Fashion trends were driven by contrasts. Baggy jeans and ultra-baggy sweat pants (As seen and guessed) dominated Gen Z wardrobes, while fitted cardigans became one of the year’s biggest surprise wins.
Bag charms became the micro-accessory of 2025, mesh flats rose 96 per cent, and ballet flats increased 34 per cent.
Cowboy boots had a cultural moment, selling five times as many in Sydney and Melbourne as in Queensland.
Nike Tuned 1 cemented itself as the national go-to sneaker, led by Gen Z, who accounted for 44 per cent of purchases. Kitten heels were a comeback story, rising 193 per cent.
Beauty trends point to looksmaxing
This year saw women invest heavily in beauty technology, with LED masks up 95 per cent, press-on nails up 93 per cent, gua sha tools up 80 per cent and ice rollers up 47 per cent. Men focused on grooming and dental aesthetics, with tooth whitening kits increasing by 115 per cent.
Home upgrades reflect a mood for comfort
Consumers continued refreshing their homes with décor and practical upgrades. Bar carts climbed 117 per cent as home entertaining continued its revival.
Lighting trends also surged, with wall sconces up 43 per cent and pendants up 52 per cent. Robot vacuums were powerful among Millennials, accounting for 49 per cent of purchases in the category.
Tech, gaming and everyday optimisation
Tech purchases favoured content creation and wellness tracking. E-readers jumped 352 per cent, boosted by BookTok culture.
Ring lights climbed 133 per cent. Smart rings were up 34 per cent, and walking pads saw their most significant spike during the early-year return-to-routine period. Screen protectors remained one of the top tech essentials.
Adult categories become mainstream
The report shows Australian shoppers are increasingly comfortable buying adult products online. Role play costumes surged 292 per cent, lingerie rose 26 per cent, and lace sets were up 25 per cent. Among the top-selling items was Lovehoney’s 6-inch Classic Realistic dildo.
The rise of comfort adventure
Australians embraced an outdoors mindset that prioritises ease and comfort. Camping chairs dominated sales, inflatable paddleboards were particularly popular with women at 55 per cent of purchases and golf clubs continued to rise, increasing 46 per cent. Hammocks spiked on 2 February across NSW and Queensland.
A snapshot of a changing Australian consumer
Emily Marshall, Director of Trade and Partner Marketing APAC at Afterpay, said the report offered a read on how Australians are shaping identity through spending.
“Australians voted with their wallets for joy, comfort and self-expression,” Marshall said.
“Afterpaid 2025 paints a picture of a country that’s savvy, culturally plugged-in and unafraid to embrace contradictions. It’s a real-time snapshot of how we live, spend and express ourselves, and that’s what makes this report so uniquely Australian.”
As 2026 approaches, Afterpay says the data points to a retail landscape where experiences continue to outshine possessions, comfort is as important as style, and consumers prioritise authenticity over fast-churn microtrends.
The full Afterpaid 2025 Report is available now on Afterpay’s website, along with lifestyle images and product screenshots.