By Aimee Chanthadavong
Independent online price comparison site Shopbot.com.au has released details that online buying activity in Australia is continuing to surge despite a lot of uncertainty in the retail market.
Shopbot’s research revealed that consumer electronics and computer products, such as cameras and smartphones, are the most searched items.
Neil Thomas, Shopbot national sales director, admitted to Retailbiz that a there have been a few dips but the overall outcome has been positive due to the strong Australian dollar.
“Electronic products are what people want more than need,” he said.
“This actually forces people to do a lot more price comparison and to find out the best price for the latest LCD TV or a 3D TV. They’re still willing to spend but they also want to get the best price and this has fuelled the online shopping industry quite a bit.
“People are thriftier with their money and they want to make sure they’re getting product A for the best value they can get.”
According to Thomas, the Christmas shopping period ahead has been tipped to be very strong.
“I think many shoppers are getting in early in case prices start to rise again. There has been a sharp growth in online traffic over recent months, and we're currently average 60,000 unique visitors per day in Australia on our site,” he said in statement.
Beyond electronics, online shoppers were also actively searching for bargains in areas of perfumes, homewares, children's clothes, sports equipment and accessories. Shopbot has also recently launched an air fare comparison section on its site.