Key takeaways

• EOFY is a major retail moment, with the latest ARA and Roy Morgan benchmarks putting mid-year and EOFY 2025 spending at $10.5 billion.
• Shoppers are looking for value, and 26% planned to take part in the latest EOFY sales research, with an average planned spend of $1,714.
• EOFY is a smart time to clear dead stock and turn slow lines into cash.
• Businesses want to use their instant asset write-off for the 2025–26 income year before the 30 June deadline.
• Retailers should promote products as useful for work or business use.

What is EOFY sale marketing?

EOFY sale marketing is the process retailers use to plan, price, display, and promote stock before the financial year ends on 30 June. In simple terms, it is about using a short deadline to lift sales, clear ageing stock, and bring shoppers into the store. It should be a focused campaign centred on the stock you want to move, with offers that customers can quickly understand.

Why EOFY sales work

EOFY sales work because they combine urgency, value, and timing. Shoppers know the deadline is fixed, and retailers know they can get instant results. The main drivers are year-end financial pressures and tax deadlines. Accountants often advise businesses to spend now rather than wait for the next financial year.

Planning your EOFY sale

• Review your stock: Look for items that have been sitting too long, tying up cash, and taking up shelf space. Dead stock is a cost, and EOFY is a good chance to turn that cost into revenue. Use your POS system, which should make it easy to run a stock report showing these items. Here is a step-by-step guide for our POS System
• Work in sections: Go through your stock department by department. Look specifically for items that business people might need right now.
• Speak with your suppliers: This is important. Many suppliers need to move stock before year-end to make deals, as they are now focusing on their year-end financial commitments, such as insurance and government taxes. Also, like you, the suppliers would rather move the stock than count it soon.
• Check the market for ideas: You do not need to copy competitors, but it helps to know what shoppers are already seeing. That can help you price better, display better, and find a gap you can use. It is easy to do, go to your computer and ask Google about "End of financial year sales". If you want to do a bit more, go for a walk around the nearest major shopping centre.

Crafting your EOFY strategy

Use signs with clear messages, and make the sale easy to spot from the door. Promote the deadline. You have a very good deadline for many shoppers: 30 June. Use your signs to remind them that time is limited.

Use dead stock to build traffic. A small front-of-store clearance display can draw customers in and create the feeling that there are real bargains inside.

Create a business-use section. A focused area with notebooks, pens, printer supplies, folders, desk items, and other work-friendly products can help shoppers find practical EOFY buys fast.

Conclusion

EOFY Sales in 2026 are already live, and smart retailers are already pushing them. It is a real opportunity, with consumer research indicating that 71% of Australians plan to shop during the 2025 EOFY sales, a significant jump from 38% in 2024. Cost-of-living pressures and a growing aversion to full-price purchases drive it. Start implementing these strategies today, clear that dead stock, and finish the financial year strong.

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.