The short version. Every Australian will see at least a partial eclipse on 22 July 2028, and the path of totality crosses the Kimberley, the Northern Territory, south-west Queensland and NSW, including Dubbo and Sydney. Stock only glasses certified to ISO 12312-2 (in Australia, AS ISO 12312.2:2020) from a maker on the American Astronomical Society's list, with a test report and batch codes on file. Under Australian Consumer Law you, the retailer, answer to your customers, so the supplier matters. Order in 2027; sales peak in June and July 2028.
Want the backstory first? Read how eclipse glasses sold out in the US twice, and what that means for Australian shops.
Will eclipse glasses sell in my shop?
Very likely, if you are anywhere in Australia. On Saturday 22 July 2028 the Moon covers at least part of the Sun across the whole country, and inside the path of totality it covers all of it. Everyone who wants to watch the eclipse needs certified eclipse glasses for the whole eclipse, from start to finish, so demand is national, not just in the path.
The path towns will see the biggest rush. Destination NSW expects the eclipse to "attract many more travellers" than the US eclipses because the path crosses Sydney, and notes that in 2024 hotel vacancies in US path cities fell below one per cent. The WA Government expects thousands of visitors in the East Kimberley, and the Northern Territory has set up a working group for visitors to the Barkly region. Our 2028 eclipse guide has the times for each capital.
2028 eclipse path map for Australia
Visitors arrive needing glasses. When about 20,000 visitors came to Exmouth, a town of under 3,000 people, for the 2023 eclipse, the local Chamber of Commerce bought just over 20,000 pairs of eclipse glasses, as the ABC reported.
How much of the eclipse does your town get?
Totality only happens inside the path, but towns just outside it come within a fraction of a per cent, and every capital gets at least half the Sun covered. Your town's figure is your best line on the counter: "3 minutes 50 seconds of totality in Dubbo" or "98% in Halls Creek" sells glasses.
| Town | State | On 22 July 2028 | Maximum eclipse (local time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wauchope | NT | 4m 55s of totality | 12:51pm ACST |
| Bedourie | QLD | 4m 27s of totality | 1:36pm AEST |
| Bourke | NSW | 4m 05s of totality | 1:52pm AEST |
| Mudgee | NSW | 3m 54s of totality | 1:59pm AEST |
| Dubbo | NSW | 3m 50s of totality | 1:57pm AEST |
| Sydney CBD | NSW | 3m 48s of totality | 2:02pm AEST |
| Katoomba | NSW | 3m 29s of totality | 2:00pm AEST |
| Tennant Creek | NT | 3m 21s of totality | 12:50pm ACST |
| Kununurra | WA | 2m 52s of totality | 11:01am AWST |
| Orange | NSW | 2m 14s of totality | 1:58pm AEST |
| Birdsville | QLD | 99.9% covered, just outside the path | 1:37pm AEST |
| Coonabarabran | NSW | Over 99.9% covered, just outside the path | 1:58pm AEST |
| Windorah | QLD | 99% covered | 1:44pm AEST |
| Halls Creek | WA | 98% covered | 11:02am AWST |
| Canberra | ACT | 96% covered | 1:59pm AEST |
| Alice Springs | NT | 95% covered | 12:53pm ACST |
| Darwin | NT | 88% covered | 12:32pm ACST |
| Brisbane | QLD | 81% covered | 2:02pm AEST |
| Melbourne | VIC | 81% covered | 1:53pm AEST |
| Adelaide | SA | 76% covered | 1:11pm ACST |
| Hobart | TAS | 73% covered | 1:56pm AEST |
| Perth | WA | 50% covered | 10:48am AWST |
Calculated by Aura Sight from NASA eclipse elements; totality lasts longer near the centre of the path, so it varies across a town. Check an exact address on our eclipse map. Even at 99%, the eclipse is partial: certified glasses stay on for the whole eclipse.
Which shops sell the most?
Shops people already walk into in the weeks before, with a counter where a display fits:
- Newsagents and convenience stores. Impulse buys at the till, and families picking up a pair for each person.
- Pharmacies and optometrists. Customers trust an eye-safety product from them, and staff can explain the rules.
- Camera, telescope and outdoor stores. Customers planning a trip into the path, who also need advice on photographing the eclipse safely.
- Service stations and roadhouses on the path. Drivers heading for totality, often on the day.
- Visitor centres, museums, observatories and gift shops. Visitors, souvenirs and branded glasses.
Since we opened wholesale enquiries, the first resellers to ask have been exactly these: an electronics retailer in a path town and an astronomy society that sells to its members.
What to range
Keep the range small and easy to sell at a glance:
- Single pairs in a counter display. Our counter display units hold 50 pairs each.
- Family packs of four, a higher sale for households. Ours is the family eclipse kit: four pairs and a printed viewing guide.
- Your own brand. Visitor centres and tourism outlets can sell glasses printed with their own artwork, from 500 units, with a proof before print. See custom-branded glasses.
Paper glasses are one size and fit adults and children. Range more than one frame design if you can: a display with choice sells better than a single print.
Pricing and margin
Wholesale pricing depends on volume and format, so we quote it per order. As a guide to shelf prices, these are our own online retail prices, including GST:
| Format | Pairs | Our online price |
|---|---|---|
| Paper eclipse glasses | 1 | A$5.45 |
| Family eclipse kit | 4, with a printed viewing guide | A$19.25 |
| Counter display | 50 | Quoted per order |
| Cartons and pallets | By the carton | Quoted per order |
Two things protect your margin. Lock in your price and stock early, because the price of the last certified pairs goes up: in 2017, AP reported prices on Amazon of around 11 to 12 US dollars a pair in the final days. And order to a realistic forecast, because unsold glasses cannot be sent back after the eclipse (see after the eclipse).
Your obligations under Australian Consumer Law
If you sell eclipse glasses, you are responsible to your customers for them, not just the maker:
- Consumer guarantees. Goods must be of acceptable quality and fit for their purpose. The ACCC says businesses must not tell customers to go to the manufacturer for a remedy.
- Mandatory reporting. Product Safety Australia says every business in the supply chain, including anyone who sells in store or online, must report a death, serious injury or serious illness associated with a product within 2 days of becoming aware of it.
- The standard. Australia has adopted the international standard for eclipse glasses as AS ISO 12312.2:2020, identical to ISO 12312-2:2015. Standards Australia tells people to use eyewear certified to it. We could find no mandatory standard specific to eclipse glasses, so the standard on the frame, and the evidence behind it, is up to your supplier and you.
This is general information, not legal advice. The practical point: keep the supplier's certification and test report on file before you range the product, and buy from a supplier you can reach in Australia.
Six checks before you stock
Counterfeits are the real risk. Before the 2024 US eclipse, the American Astronomical Society warned that factories were printing a listed maker's name and address on glasses it never made, and that some were unsafe as well as fake. Run these six checks on any supplier, including us:
- ISO 12312-2 and the maker's name on every pair, printed on the frame, not just the box.
- A maker on the AAS list. The AAS says that as long as you can trace your filters to a manufacturer on its list, you have nothing to worry about. Ours are made by Rainbow Symphony, which is on it.
- A real test report from an accredited laboratory, for that product. A report that just says "pass" is not enough.
- Batch traceability. A batch code or QR code that links the pair in your hand to its test. Every pair of ours carries a QR batch certificate.
- A local supplier. An Australian business with an ABN and stock in the country, so supply does not depend on shipping in the final weeks.
- Paperwork for your counter. Certificates on file for your records, and a safety leaflet customers can take home.
For the full consumer checklist, see where to buy eclipse glasses in Australia and how our glasses are certified.
When to order
Certified glasses are made to order in batches: the filter film, printing, die-cutting, fitting and testing all have fixed capacity. In the US in 2024 the AAS predicted, weeks ahead, that sellers would start running out from mid-March for an eclipse on 8 April, and that it would get worse the closer the day came. A plan that works:
- Now to mid 2027: choose formats, ask for samples and the test report, get a quote.
- 2027: place the order and lock in the price. Custom-printed runs take 6 to 8 weeks from proof approval.
- By 31 May 2028: stock on hand, displays ready, staff briefed.
- June and July 2028: your peak weeks. Restocking then depends on what is left anywhere.
At the counter: what to tell customers
Customers will ask your staff how to use the glasses. Four answers cover almost every question:
- Glasses stay on for the whole eclipse, from start to finish, including totality. Never look at the Sun without certified glasses.
- Check them first. Both lenses free of scratches, creases and pinholes. A damaged pair goes in the bin.
- Never with a camera, binoculars or a telescope. Optics need their own solar filter on the front.
- An adult fits glasses on children in the shade before the eclipse starts, and stays beside them.
Our guide to why you need eclipse glasses explains the reasons in plain language for customers who want them.
After the eclipse
Eclipse glasses are a one-date product, so plan for the day after. Our wholesale orders are supplied to order and cannot be returned for change of mind, and unsold stock cannot be returned after the eclipse. To keep that risk small:
- Order your base stock early, then top up from local stock as sales show the real demand.
- Give single pairs the most space; family packs and branded glasses suit fewer outlets.
- Undamaged ISO 12312-2 glasses can be kept for later eclipses: the AAS says certified glasses can be reused if undamaged. Our guide to the next solar eclipses in Australia lists the dates.
How to order wholesale from us
- Tell us about your shop: where it is, which formats, and rough volumes.
- Get a quote and the compliance pack: ISO 12312-2:2015 test reports from A2LA-accredited ICS Laboratories, CE documentation and batch QR tracking. We reply within one business day.
- Lock in stock from NSW, shipped Australia-wide, with repeat orders from the same certified batches.
Certified eclipse glasses for your shelf: counter displays of 50, family packs and your own brand, from NSW stock.
Get wholesale pricingFAQ
Can I sell eclipse glasses in my shop in Australia?
Yes. Stock glasses certified to ISO 12312-2 (AS ISO 12312.2:2020) from a maker on the American Astronomical Society's list, and keep the test report and batch details on file. Under Australian Consumer Law you are responsible to your customers for the glasses you sell.
When should retailers order eclipse glasses for 2028?
In 2027. Have stock on the counter by the end of May 2028, because most sales come in June and July, and in the US in 2017 and 2024 certified glasses ran short in the final weeks.
How much do eclipse glasses cost wholesale?
Wholesale pricing depends on volume and format, so we quote per order. As a guide to shelf prices, our online price is A$5.45 a pair, and A$19.25 for a family kit of four, including GST.
Is the retailer responsible if eclipse glasses are faulty?
Yes. The ACCC says businesses must not send customers to the manufacturer for a remedy, and Product Safety Australia requires every business in the supply chain to report a serious injury associated with a product within 2 days. This is general information, not legal advice.
How do I know eclipse glasses are not fake?
Check that ISO 12312-2 and the maker's name are printed on every pair, that the maker is on the AAS list, and that the supplier can show an accredited lab's test report and batch codes that trace each pair to the maker.
Will eclipse glasses sell outside the path of totality?
Yes. Every part of Australia sees at least a partial eclipse on 22 July 2028, and towns just outside the path come close to totality: over 99.9% of the Sun covered at Birdsville and Coonabarabran, 98% at Halls Creek and 96% in Canberra. Glasses stay on for the whole eclipse wherever you watch it. The path towns, including Sydney and Dubbo, will see the biggest rush.
Can I return unsold eclipse glasses after the eclipse?
Not with us: wholesale orders are supplied to order, and unsold stock cannot be returned after the eclipse. Order a base quantity early and top up from local stock as sales show demand.
Can my shop sell eclipse glasses with its own brand?
Yes, from 500 units, printed on certified frames after you approve a proof. Custom runs take 6 to 8 weeks from proof approval, so order these first.
Sources
All checked 11.11.2026.
- ACCC, Repair, replace, refund, cancel.
- Product Safety Australia, When you must report an incident and Who must submit a mandatory report.
- Standards Australia, Partial solar eclipse should not be a sight for sore eyes (18 September 2025); AS ISO 12312.2:2020 listing at Intertek Inform.
- American Astronomical Society, Suppliers of safe solar viewers and filters, How to tell if your viewers are safe and its counterfeit warning (22 March 2024).
- Axios, eclipse glasses ahead of 8 April 2024 (19 February 2024).
- AP, eclipse glasses shortage report by Brady McCombs (August 2017).
- ABC News, Exmouth eclipse glasses (26 March 2023) and Exmouth preparations (10 February 2023).
- Destination NSW, Total eclipse to bring solar tourism boom to NSW (24 August 2026).
- WA Government, eclipse in the Kimberley (10 May 2026); Tourism and Events NT, Total solar eclipse 2028.
- Astronomical Association of Queensland, The eclipse of 22 July 2028.
Stock Aura Sight certified eclipse glasses
Counter displays of 50 pairs, family packs and your own brand, from NSW stock, with test reports and QR batch certificates on file.
