Its been forecasted that this will be the busiest ever online shopping week with expectations it will peak on eBay.com.au on Sunday 11 December, according to PayPal, eBay and Australia Post.
With Australian online commerce set to reach $30 billion by the end of the year, according to PayPal’s Secure Insights report; eBay, PayPal and Australia Post predict a surge in spending this week as consumers look to save time and money by shopping for this year’s Christmas presents online or via their smartphone.
“When it comes to hunting down the best products at the best prices, Australian consumers have stepped up a gear in the last 12 months and are now an army of savvy online deal hunters. With more than 10 million Australians now shopping online, smart shoppers can get the best deals on gifts and save time and energy to spend on the most important ingredients of the festive period – friends and family,” Deborah Sharkey, eBay vice president, said.
Similarly, Kogan.com.au is also expecting a busy Christmas revealing that its sales figures for November were $8.12 million, up 330 per cent from the $1.89 million in the same period in 2010.
Kogan.com.au founder Ruslan Kogan said 2011 saw the Australian public become more knowledgeable about the benefit of shopping online.
"Particularly during the busy Christmas period, Australian consumers are finding the best prices coupled with maximum convenience by being able to shop in the comfort of their own home,” he said.
"We've had a very strong 2011 and we're seeing extremely positive Christmas figures rolling in.
"As trailblazers in Australian online retail, our figures show the industry is undergoing tremendous growth.
“2011 has shown that online is no longer the marketplace just for books, CDs, and massage vouchers. More and more Australians are comfortable making serious purchases online. They are now spending hundreds of dollars online.”
All of these predictions are being supported by results of a new survey by Ptiney Bowes Australia, which shows that 92 per cent of Australians in NSW, Victoria and WA are choosing to shop online.
The survey of 1,000 individuals revealed that many have switched to buying online because it’s time saving, convenient and often cheaper.
“The advantages of online shopping are many, with 74 per cent of people naming price as the main deciding factor, particularly when considering the strong Australian dollar when buying from overseas and the lack of store overheads bringing prices down when buying domestically,” Tony Simonsen, managing director of Pitney Bowes Australia, said.
The Pitney Bowes study also found that across all Australian states, the older age groups were the one who were embracing online shopping the most. It found that 89 per cent of online shoppers were of 45 to 54-year-olds, with 55-year-olds and above being more active as 90 per cent chose the internet for some of their purchase decisions.