LOL Surprise dolls are this year's on-trend item for the children of Australia and they are in high demand at Cannonvale's only department store, Big W.

"I'm not sure what is in them, but it must be good as they're selling out daily,” BigW Whitsunday manager Tyson Smith said.

Their popularity stems from the bizarre online craze of "unboxing”, where people record themselves unwrapping presents or pristine-packaged goods and then post the video online.

A two-pack of the mysterious dolls will set you back $18 at Big W, making them an affordable gift guaranteed to put a smile on most children's faces on Christmas morning.

Despite being relatively new to his position, MrSmith said this year had been a big one for the retailer and with sales up by 10 per cent, he's got a busy lead-up ahead of the big day.

He said anything Lego, Star Wars and gaming-related was proving popular this year.

The Whitsunday community is also showing a trend of going back to basics, with board games proving popular among shoppers.

For the older children and adults, DVDs are again popular, with box sets of cult television series Game of Thrones a sellout for the store.

Harvey Norman computer manager Jack Hinschen said anything Star Wars themed was selling in store and it was what a lot of people in the Whitsundays would be unwrapping from Santa on Christmas morning.

Star Wars drones and virtual reality lightsaber games are selling well and have a recommended age range of 14-plus, so are a good option for the older teenagers in your family.

Drones in general are hovering off the shelves in store, the demand proving hard for retailers to keep up with. Prices start from $48 all the way through to $1000-plus.

Portable speakers are also a top seller this year for both Harvey Norman and Big W, a gift Mr Hinschen said every member of the family could use and enjoy.

Big W Whitsunday is restocking shelves daily in the lead-up to Christmas to meet demand, trading hours have been extended until Christmas and on Friday, December 22, the store is opening until midnight.