Aussie retailers fuel own online shopping growth

RESEARCH from Australia Post shows Australians are increasingly shopping online – and mainly from local retailers.

Australia Post’s second annual Inside Australian Online Shopping Report showed online sales surging more than 11 percent in the past year.

The report, which draws on all of Australia Post and subsidiary StarTrack’s customer and delivery data, showed online shopping sales soared 11.5 percent in 2016 compared with 2015, and domestic retailers accounted for 79 percent of the total online spend. 

Australia Post's general manager of eCommerce and international, Ben Franzi, said Australians' love of fashion and department/variety store items continued, with the two categories accounting for more than half of all online sales.

“Price, range and convenience are the three main reasons why consumers shop online, and why growth rates remain strong,” Mr Franzi said. “Online shopping empowers people to shop at a time that suits them.

“Almost one third of all online purchases were made from 7pm to10pm, while 18 percent were made from 2pm to 5pm. Australians are increasingly using their smart phones to shop online, with purchases made from a mobile device growing 52 percent.”

Other popular items included personalised goods, which grew 28.2 percent. Mr Franzi said more online retailers were offering shoppers the ability to co-design and add their own personal brand to products such as watches, handbags and other accessories.

Point Cook in Victoria was the number one buying location for the second consecutive year, reporting 13.2 percent growth, followed by Toowoomba in Queensland (7.6% growth)  and Liverpool in NSW (15% growth).

Mr Franzi said Australia Post and StarTrack combined delivered more than four billion items to 11.6 million addresses across the country annually. Mr Franzi said the data provided critical information for businesses looking to get ahead in a tough retail market.

“Here in Australia we know the online shopping industry is about to be disrupted, and retail as we know it won't ever look the same,” Mr Franzi said.

“The Inside Australian Online Shopping Report is a powerful tool to help businesses understand their existing and potential customers better, so they can create targeted offers and grow their sales by giving consumers what they want based on facts and data.”

www.startrack.com.au/ecommerce.

Top 10 online shopping buying locations and annual growth:

Point Cook +13.2%

Toowoomba +7.6%

Liverpool +15%

Gosford +12.8%

Cranbourne +17.6%

Hoppers Crossing +16.8%

Mackay +1.7%

Mandurah +4.8%

Baulkham Hills +21.1%

Campbelltown +13.7%

*Results are from the 2016 calendar year compared with the 2015 calendar year.

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