To improve the shopping experience from the moment consumers arrive, QIC has partnered with Thrifty Car Rental to give savvy shoppers a VIP parking experience and no-fuss access to some of Australia’s top shopping centres.

The partnership will see dedicated Thrifty Blue Chip Member areas in QIC shopping centre car parks roll out just in time for the peak sale period, giving shoppers access to dedicated member-only bays between the 23rd and 28th of December. All shoppers need to do is sign up for a free Thrifty Blue Chip Membership, and have their membership details ready upon arrival to snap up priority parking during the biggest sale event of the year.

“At Thrifty, we’re about continuing to surprise and delight our customers with unique perks and rewards they actually value. We know that our Blue Chip Members are driven by deals, which is why we’ve partnered with QIC to allow our members quick and simple parking at leading shopping centres across the country this holiday season,” said Thrifty Australia, Vice President, Eoin MacNeill.

Australia is set to have a record-breaking Boxing Day Boom, with the average Aussie predicted to spend $425, totalling $3.9 billion across the country on Boxing Day alone.

According to research from Thrifty Car Rental and QIC, the Boxing Day Boom is being driven by a resurgence in brick-and-mortar shopping, with 44% of shoppers stating it’s their preferred way to shop. With this year’s Boxing Day sales marking the first in three years without pandemic restrictions, more than 4 million Aussies are expected to hit the stores, spending a combined 56 million hours shopping this festive season.

Sally Harding, Head of Alternative Income at QIC, believes the surge in traffic was kick-started by Black Friday weekend sales.

“Our shopping centres experienced bumper traffic and sales during the Black Friday sales this year,” said Harding. “It’s great to see people out and about and getting into the festive spirit after a difficult few years for everyone. Our job now is to make it the best experience possible.”

Another reason behind the resurgence of in-store shopping also comes down to consumers wanting traditional advantages that online stores can’t offer. More than 1 in 3 (35%) want their products at the time of buying due to postage delays over Christmas, while one in two (49%) want to physically see products ahead of committing to purchasing.

The new Thrifty VIP Parking Bay will be available at QIC centres, including Castle Towers, Westpoint, Canberra Centre, Robina Town Centre, Grand Central, Eastland and Watergardens.