By Keri Agler, Current.com.au
The study, conducted by market research firm Colmar Brunton, confirmed that half of Australian consumers are turning to offshore retailers due to the limitations they perceive with local merchants. While 66 per cent of consumers admitted to searching online for a better price, a majority 85 per cent cited convenience as the motivating factor for buying online in Australia or otherwise.
“It’s not just about being price-competitive,” said Steve Nuttall, managing director of Colmar Brunton Sydney. “Choice and convenience are huge drivers for consumers.”
The survey said 40 per cent of Australians shop online “a significant amount of the time” and that traditional obstacles such as a lack of trust are being overcome by e-tailers that have been building up trust.
“Australian retailers have had a view that the name of the game is bricks and mortar but while they have been focusing on this, other e-tailers are focusing on building trust with consumers.”
This being said, the results also revealed that 86 per cent of people surveyed said they only buy from trusted websites, 57 per cent were concerned about product quality and 55 per cent said that shopping online made it more difficult to get a refund – all factors that make for a “huge online potential for flagship Australian brands,” according to Colmar Brunton.
This story first appeared on Current.com.au