Australians spent a record amount on online shopping last year, with sales events like Black Friday and Click Frenzy driving growth.
According to the latest Australia Post e-commerce market update, 2017 was a bumper year for online shopping, with Australians spending $21.3 billion on physical goods.
This unprecedented growth saw online shopping rise by 19.2 per cent, almost double the uptick of 11.5 per cent in 2016.
Fashion remains a key category for e-commerce and has seen four years of consecutive growth. The category grew 27.2 per cent in 2017 and, with more international players like Zara launching local online operations, these numbers will no doubt only increase.
Australia Post’s general manager of e-commerce and international, Ben Franzi, told Fairfax that while price, range and convenience are important factors, online shopping is becoming more popular as retailers improve their service.
“Retailers are also investing in making the online shopping experience more seamless, particularly with making returns more convenient, which is also encouraging more people to buy online,” Franzi said.
May and November saw some of the highest year-on-year growth. According to Australia Post, this was to fuelled by shopping events including Click Frenzy, Singles’ Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
The message for retailers is clear: take advantage of these events by including them in your planning.
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