By Aimee Chanthadavong

Based on the last three to four years worth of research, eBay.com.au has forecasted that this Sunday 12 December will be the busiest online shopping day of the year for them.

Jenny Thomas, eBay spokesperson, said that there will be over 300 product offerings, which are often found at local brick and mortars stores, but will be sold on eBay at discounted prices

“We asked our analysts and they found that over the last three to four years, the amount of sales made and traffic has traditionally fallen on the second Sunday of December,” she said.

“It’s because people are starting to really think about what they need to buy for Christmas and they are also considering that when they are buying online they need extra time for postage.”

More than one million Australian shoppers are expected to visit the site and buy more than 200,000 items primarily from Australian-based sellers, generating sales worth more than $11 million.

“We’re predicting over $10 million worth of items will be sold through eBay that day and mainly through Australian-based sellers,” Thomas said.
According to Thomas, the online shopping boom is being driven by the strong dollar and consumers are becoming savvier in terms of looking for better value for money. 

“Our research found that more than half of the nation is shopping online, which is a massive change in comparison to the pass, because they know they can buy things online for a lot less and receive the same customer service The online stores are now offering the same products as traditional retailers but just at a discounted price.,” she said.

“It also comes down to the fact that Australian consumers have much more exposure to international sellers so those sellers are targeting Australia because they know there’s money to be made here. They do this by offering free shipping or discounted prices. So as consumers become more exposed to those retailers the more of a bargain they’ll get.”

It’s predicated that women’s shoes will be the most popular purchase with more than 1,500 pairs expected to be sold. Also, while women are expected to purchase the most items, men will spend more overall

“If you look at international purchases, men’s fashion is the most popular and that comes down to price and if you go into department stores the men’s selection is limited in comparison to women, so inevitably they have look elsewhere and men are much more inclined to buy online,” Thomas said.

Also, while the strong Aussie dollar has sparked a significant rise in the number of consumers purchasing items from international online sellers, Australian based online sellers are also reaping the benefits of being online this Christmas.

“When we first launched in eBay in Australia, a lot of the sellers were real entrepreneurs that started in their back room and we still have a lot of those. Increasingly though, traditional retailers are realising the strength of online shopping and they want to reach those consumers. So eBay has grown to become the largest market place online where traditional retailers like Dell and ABC Shop have signed up to where their consumers are,” Thomas said.