Retailers bank on Taylor Swift before her Australian shows
Stores and businesses are certainly in their Taylor Swift era, as Australia prepares to welcome the world’s biggest star.
On Friday week [February 16], Swift will kick off the Australian leg of The Eras Tour in Melbourne and businesses around the country are ready to cash in.
Along Melbourne’s Chapel Street, stores have turned their windows into Swift shrines, promoting enviable outfits for The Eras Tour.
One op-shop had bodysuits, dresses and two-pieces adorned in sparkles and sequins that aren’t too different to the ones Swift wears on stage.
Taylor made: Op shops have outfits fit for Swift’s shows.
A little further down Chapel Street is the Tibbs & Bones brick and mortar store, which features just about anything one would need to dress for Swift’s show.
It’s not just independently owned stores that are taking advantage of Swift in Australia.
Sportsgirl has a “tour edit” people can shop, which features cowboy hats, glittery make-up and clothes that would fit into any one of Swift’s “eras”.
Spotlight has a section called “Get Concert Ready” dedicated to products fitting for a DIY outfit.
Australian Swifties are sharing where they picked up the items that will be part of their outfits, providing a stream of information and inspiration for others.
Taylor Swift to inject millions into economy
It makes total sense for businesses to capitalise on Swift’s tour.
According to Spotlight, when Swift announced she was coming to Australia, searches for friendship bracelet kits rose 33.78 per cent.
Fans have been making and swapping friendship bracelets at Swift’s shows, which was inspired by a lyric in her song You’re On Your Own, Kid.
There were some 450,000 tickets up for grabs, so there are plenty of people needing outfits for the Eras Tour in Sydney and Melbourne.
It’s not just retail stores that are going to benefit from The Eras Tour; it’s expected that restaurants, hotels and the Australian economy will too.
Given Swift is only going to be playing in Sydney and Melbourne, plenty of people will be travelling to those cities.
Last year, it was estimated that if everything was taken into account, the average person seeing Swift will spend $900.
Taylor Swift will take the stage at the MCG to kick off her Australian leg. Photo: Getty
Speaking to The New Daily last year, Dr Angel Zhong, a finance academic at RMIT, speculated that the Australian economy could see a $405 million boost.
However, not all of that would be retained in the economy, a conservative estimation is $320 million in gross domestic product, she said.
If Swift makes an appearance at the Super Bowl to support her partner, Travis Kelce, she will likely be flying straight to Melbourne.
In Melbourne, Swift takes the stage at the MCG, where she will likely break a record for playing in front of the biggest crowd at the venue.
She will then head off to Sydney, where she will play four shows at Accor Stadium, before jetting off to Singapore.
Swift ended 2023 as Time‘s Person of the Year and she has kicked off 2024 incredibly strong.
At the Grammys she made history and became the first artist to win Album of the Year four times.