Research by Australia Post has revealed that Australians are fast adopting international shopping traditions with Black Friday and Cyber Monday combining to form the busiest online shopping week in the country.
The Inside Australian Online Shopping preview found that the two significant shopping events recorded growth of 28.7% year-on-year – indicating shoppers are ticking off their Christmas lists earlier than ever before. The research also showed that Australians’ love for online bargain hunting remains strong, with growth of around 24% year-on-year across all major shopping events in Australia.
Ben Franzi, general manager parcel and express services, said the research shows a continuing shift in the timing and channels shoppers use to make their key purchases: “Traditionally, the first week of December was the peak for online sales. Now, it’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday – which strongly suggests that more Aussies are doing their Christmas shopping online and earlier than ever before.”
Franzi continued, “Importantly, this signals to retailers they need to consider timing their sales earlier to grab a slice of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday pie.
“Australians are getting savvier with how they shop and are starting to purchase seasonal items that they might usually buy in store. For example, in the second week of December we saw a marked increase in online purchasing of specialty food and liquor – resulting in a growth of 41% year-on-year.
“We know that customers are increasingly drawn to the convenience and stress-free experience of online shopping – Paypal reports that 70% of Australians find online shopping less stressful than going in-store.”
To read the report, click here.