New owner of quirky gift outlet Loot Homewares, Julie Townsend, said this year owl statues were selling fast instead of the usual elephant statues. “Anything to do with owls is absolutely ridiculous,” Mrs Townsend said.

Also, citrus and bright colours of items such as scarves were rushing off the shelves.

“We find people are going away from the traditional and going towards citrus colours – all the yellows and oranges have been selling really well. Vases, candle holders – the really bright citrus,” she said.

For The Magic Pudding owner Sara Winston-Smith, food sales are “massive”.

“Hampers for your mother-in-law – I can’t believe how many hampers I’ve done,” Miss Winston-Smith said. 

Easy Living Group general manager Jenny Studdy said handbags and wallets were popular as well as “lots of party shoes, especially for Christmas Day”.

The rain in recent weeks had brought a bit of buyer confidence back, Kathmandu Travel Store manager Amanda Sherrin said.

“We’ve had about a 10 per cent growth on last year, which is really good,” Ms Sherrin said. 

Cotton On manager Kimberley Young said daywear kimonos were selling particularly well, as well as extremely short shorts and crop tops for the younger generation.

Tamworth husband and wife Julie-Ann and Geoff Silvey have finished their shopping already but would wait until after Christmas to buy clothes for their three daughters.

Meanwhile the StyleRocks website says more than 30 per cent of customers from around Australia are from the bush and where buyers can design their own jewellery online.

They say regional customers are buying pearl earrings, eternity rings, pink-sapphire cocktail rings and wedding rings – plus black-pearl items, although silver was big, too.