Australian consumers are seeking new “value propositions” while shopping online, however, convenience still takes priority, says new research.
The Australian E-commerce Report released by IAB Australia along with Pureprofile, found that 67 per cent of consumers nominate ‘convenience’ as the number one reason for purchasing online, however, they are also actively seeking out discounts, loyalty programs and price comparisons to tackle unexpected price increases.
About 62 per cent of respondents said they are increasing their usage of loyalty programs to enhance their shopping experience while saving money while 52 per cent said they would pay a fee to subscribe to retail loyalty programs such as Ebay Plus, Wesfarmers OnePass, Woolworths Delivery Unlimited, Costco Membership and Amazon Prime.
In the past year, clothing, shoes, and fashion were the most popular online purchase categories while Amazon continues to be the most popular online retailer.
Likewise, 59 per cent of respondents said they were maintaining their frequency of shopping online making a purchase every two or three weeks in the past year.
Purchasing from ethical brands is also important to 45 per cent of consumers with 47 per cent preferring to purchase from sustainable brands and 58 per cent preferring to buy from Australian-owned brands.
Gai Le Roy, CEO of IAB Australia, said Australian consumers are increasingly “enjoying a mix of online and in-store shopping” but it is clear retailers face a new set of challenges with shoppers who are “price sensitive seeking value for money” in their brand choice.
This story first appeared on our sister publication Internet Retailing
