South Australia has embarked on a final rush of Christmas shopping, as last-minute sales are tipped to push the festive period retail tills over $3.4 billion.

The seasonal splurge is a 3.1 per cent increase on last year.

The spending was evidence that shoppers have growing confidence in the state, sparked by the change of government in March and buoyed by a spate of good economic news just weeks ago.

Australian Retailers Association figures show SA consumers spent $3.32 billion in the lead-up to Christmas last year and the expected boost this year is above the 2.9 per cent national average.

ARA executive director Russell Zimmerman expected strong monthly retail growth in SA to reflect during the most significant trading period for Australians.

Nationally, Australians will spend $51.4 billion in the weeks before Christmas.

“Undoubtedly, Christmas in SA will be merrier than it was a couple of years ago when retailers were seeing negative sales,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“Our prediction is based on the average growth over the last 12 months, so SA will be on target to hit that $3.4 billion mark,” he told The Advertiser.

“There is a lot more confidence in the state, which is a good sign for retailers.”

Westfield Marion’s annual 36-hour marathon shopping ended last night with numbers peaking between 10 pm and 1am, but more crowds are expected over the three sleeps to Christmas.

“Christmas is our busiest time of year and we’re expecting hundreds of thousands of people through our doors in South Australia, Westfield spokeswoman Lucy Andolfatto said.

“We know most people finish work today, so they will be coming in and there are also the last-minute shoppers that like to shop under pressure while fresh food (sales) are huge as close to the day as possible.

“We are still on extended trading hours – including Sunday for the first time this year – to help shoppers get everything they need,” she said.

Rundle Mall Management Authority general manager Johanna Williams is also counting on a busier Rundle Mall.

“Since Pageant day, visitor numbers have been tracking around 5 per cent higher than the same time last year, which translates to tens of thousands more shoppers each week compared to the same time last year,” she said.

Burnside Village Centre Management’s marketing manager Renee Tiller said the centre had been busy in the lead to Christmas.

“We look forward to hearing the results from our retailers.”

Lower fuel prices, good weather and a series of mass-discounting days are adding up to perfect shopping conditions for store operators and stores.

But there has also been good news for the state in general.

A proposed new steel mill for Whyalla and other investment into the region, the revival of the former Holden manufacturing site, and the state being named as the host of the national Australian Space Agency have all helped boost confidence statewide.

In October, the Business SA-William Buck quarterly Survey of Business Expectations showed SA businesses had outpaced their state counterparts in future confidence for the first time in more than five years.

The Sunday Mail Your Say SA survey, released in the same month, also showed rising confidence.

In November, BankSA’s State Monitor said economic confidence was delivering real outcomes in terms of jobs.