By Aimee Chanthadavong
Australia is a nation of obsessed shoppers, according to the latest Enhanced Media Metrics Australia (emma) product insights report.
More than three quarters (78 per cent) of Australians have shopped online, while 86 per cent have been to a shopping centre in the past four weeks.
The report shows on average Australians are spending more than $1,000 a month on a range of goods the report shows. Grocery items topped the list as the most popular purchase, with an average of $141 spent in supermarkets per week. Over the past four weeks, Australians spent an average of $104 on clothing, $101 on furniture/homewares, $96 on electrical goods, $83 on hardware/gardening and $77 on IT products.
“Our emma research found that although the Australian wallet has been stretched by the GFC which curbed discretionary spending, there is still a strong appetite to shop with consumers embracing both online and bricks and mortar stores with equal fervor,” Ipsos MediaCT managing director Simon Wake said.
In terms of where consumers are shopping, they nominated their most popular bricks and mortar stores are Bunnings, Big W, Kmart, Target and Officeworks.
When it comes to online shopping, a majority (71 per cent) still shop locally while 61 per cent are shopping on overseas sites. The core groups for these internet purchases are those aged 14-to-44 years of age, earn $80,000-plus a year, tertiary educated and those who are students.
“There are still big spenders in the Australian market, with strong intention to buy goods in the next six months across the retail sector," Wake said.
“This group holds strong appeal for marketers because they have the means and desire to spend their income on a more regular basis than the general population.”
Wake also believes the results indicate there’s a returned confidence in the spending market.
“Australians have been paying down debt and I think are now a little more comfortable level where they can indulge,” he said.