Aussies prefer overseas online stores to local vendors; Melbourne tops number of e-shoppers

Australian shoppers think global when it comes to online shopping and prefer buying from international online retailers than local vendors. This was revealed in a new survey by shopper savings website Cashrewards.com.au, as reported by Weekly Times. It found that 74 percent of Aussies buy from overseas online stores, with fashion and electronics as the top main categories.

Cashrewards.com.au surveyed 1,000 shoppers and found that overseas online stores were favoured for offering lower prices and a wider range of products, reports Australian Associated Press.

Among Australian shoppers, fashion was the biggest attraction for 35 percent respondents of the survey. Two thirds of shoppers in the group aged 18 to 24 said they purchased fashion items on overseas sites rather than local ones in 2015.

Meanwhile, e-commerce solution provider Neto has traced some stark e-commerce trends in Australia for 2015, which will reportedly be useful for e-retailers in adapting and innovating their business to stay ahead of competitors.

According to the research, in 2015, Australia was ranked number 10 globally as one of the best e-commerce markets in the world. It was displaced from the 9th place in 2014 because of the strong performance of European countries such as Belgium, France and Germany.

It noted that Australian consumers go online for greater value and convenience, and the segment grew 22 percent over the past year. In terms of value, the industry is expected to top $10 billion in 2015.

The rise of mobile technology is the major driver in accelerating e-commerce. According to estimates, 30 percent of Australians made online purchases using smartphones in the past 12 months. By 2017, the mobile e-commerce market will amount to $721 million. The opportunity calls for excellent mobile functionality from online retailers.

Among the cities, Melbourne has the largest numbers of online shoppers in Australia, while Toowoomba in Queensland was the topper among regional towns. In terms of value, Sydney's shoppers came on top, with their average spending at $285 per transaction.

For e-shoppers, the most popular day of the week is Tuesday. The study therefore advises retailers to coordinate email marketing for that day to draw customers' attention when they get ready for shopping. The study further found that the ideal time at which online shopping occurs is from 6 pm to 9 pm, the time when people are relaxing at home after work.

The top performing categories in e-commerce for the last quarter of 2015 were household items, discount stores, electronics, and travel. Groceries and liquor also commanded a significant portion of online sales. The research also mentioned some of the popular e-commerce websites in Australia, which include eBay, Gumtree, Amazon, Oz Bargain and JB Hi-Fi for consumer electronics.

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