The amount of Australians shopping online is not looking to slow down any time soon based on Getprice’s 2012 Shopping Report, which details how Australian shoppers are researching and buying online.
The report found online shopping is the third most popular mobile activity trumping search and is only behind reading news and social networking. This happens weekly for the majority of people, with more than a quarter shopping at least once a day.
Director of product and marketing at Getprice David Whiteman said the findings were reflective of the battles retailers were facing in connecting with audiences.
“Globally and locally, the past year has been a challenging one for retail. Retail has been experiencing its own ‘two speed economy’ with traditional retailers being forced to re-think their marketing strategies.
“This new world presents challenges but also many opportunities for retailers. It is now a ‘consumer’s market’ where retailers need to adapt to suit ever-changing consumption behaviours.
“The 2012 Getprice Shopping Report reveals the habits of online shoppers including what drives their purchasing decisions, their online shopping engagement and online versus offline preferences,” he said.
The research also found competitive price is the reason for 75 per cent for why people shop online from overseas retailers followed by products not found in Australia (51 per cent).
Price comparison also still remains the single top objective for online shoppers. However, overall, convenience remains the most compelling reason people shop online the research noted. Immediacy or instant gratification, and avoiding shipping costs, have also become even more important in the minds of shoppers with each increasing, by 13 per cent and 17 per cent respectively, as drivers of offline shopping
Physically seeing a product still remains the top reason for purchasing offline rather than online, although its importance has declined by 15 per cent since 2010.