Australians’ love affair with online shopping is as strong as ever, but what are our habits when it comes to making purchases online?
From how often Aussies purchase online to what they are buying, Budget Direct surveyed almost 1,000 Australians over 18 years of age to find out the shopping habits that drive Aussies.
Quick Stats
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More than half of Aussie shoppers surveyed were happy for deliveries to be left in a ‘safe place’.
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Online shopping is a way of life now, with 30% of those surveyed purchasing online fortnightly.
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Clothing and shoes make up the most popular online purchases with 75% of those surveyed.
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The most expensive online purchase for most shoppers (39%) falls in the $100-$500 range.
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More than half of respondents said they planned to continue or increase their online purchase habits in the next 12 months.
Aussies are making online purchases regularly
How often do you make online purchases?
Gender
Aussies may love their online shopping, but they don’t seem to be overdoing it!
The survey, which polled almost 1,000 Australians across various age groups and locations, found that online shopping is part of the regular shop for many Aussies, with 38% making a purchase monthly online, 30% fortnightly and 21% weekly.
Of those surveyed, women were slightly more likely to shop online frequently (weekly, fortnightly) at 23% and 31% compared to men (weekly, fortnightly) at 19% and 29%.
Men were more likely to make monthly or rare online purchases (39% and 13%) compared to women (37% and 10%).
Age
Respondents aged 28-37 shopped online the most frequently (‘more than once a week’) at 31%, with those aged both 18-27 and 38-47 next up at 25%.
The age groups 48-57 and 58-64 who were surveyed were the most likely to say they shopped online monthly (50%).
Those surveyed aged 58-64 also took the cake for rarely doing their shopping online at 27%.
Online shoppers have peace of mind
Where are your purchases delivered to?
Gender
Nearly all of those who were surveyed get their online shopping delivered to their home address (92%).
Only 9% of respondents used a PO Box as their delivery address, with 12% stating they get their online shopping delivered to their work address.
What forms of security does your delivery address have?
Australia
Almost half of those surveyed said their main form of security is the fact that there are people on site to accept the delivery.
More than a third of Aussie respondents had security cameras as their form of security, with ‘gated entry’ and ‘none’ at 23% and 25% respectively.
State
Those in Queensland and New South Wales seemed to be the most secure states when it came to additional forms of package security, coming out on top of the states listed for ‘Security cameras’ and ‘Gated entry’ (39% and 26%).
Almost 50% of Western Australians surveyed said they had people on site to accept the delivery, with South Australia next at 48% and Victoria at 45%.
What special instructions do you leave for delivery?
Gender
We are a trusting bunch — more than half of Aussie shoppers are happy for deliveries to be left in a safe place rather than requiring a signature (25%) or being picked up at the post office (28%).
A further quarter said they like to add special instructions to their safe place request (for example, behind the pot plant) to ensure their package is delivered safe and sound, while 18% don’t leave special instructions.
Budget Direct emphasises that the option to ‘leave in a safe place’ is doing so at your own risk (based on the T&C’s of the delivery provider), and whenever possible, it’s recommended being present to receive deliveries and/or use other secure delivery options.
Aussie online shopping habits are consistent
Do you make more online purchases now than you were 12 months ago?
Australia
Almost half of respondents said they make more online purchases now than they did 12 months ago.
Only 6% were unsure, but the other half of those surveyed said they do not make more online purchases now than 12 months ago.
Clothing and shoe purchases take the cake as most purchased items online
What types of goods have you purchased online in the past 12 months?
Gender
| Female | Male | Australia | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groceries or food | 53.9% | 47.9% | 51.1% |
| Clothes or shoes | 83.3% | 65.2% | 74.9% |
| Jewellery | 23.6% | 11.4% | 17.9% |
| Gifts that are delivered straight to the recipient | 27.2% | 21.7% | 24.6% |
| Electrical appliances | 30% | 39.1% | 34.2% |
| Homeware and furniture | 35.7% | 28.3% | 32.2% |
| Sporting equipment | 16.5% | 26% | 20.9% |
| Vehicle or car parts | 10.9% | 18.7% | 14.5% |
| Phone or technology | 28.1% | 38% | 32.7% |
| Beauty items or makeup | 60.8% | 20.2% | 41.8% |
| Pet products | 32.5% | 22.1% | 27.6% |
| Other | 6.6% | 15.5% | 10.7% |
Of those who were surveyed, clothing and shoes are the most popular online purchases (75%), followed by groceries (51%), beauty items or make up (42%) and electrical appliances (34%).
Phone and technology products (33%), homeware and furniture (32%) and pet products (28%) were also common items to turn up on the doorstep.
Women who were surveyed were more likely to purchase groceries (54%), homeware and furniture (36%), and pet products (33%) compared to their male counterparts.
Men were more likely to purchase online electrical appliances (39%), sporting equipment (26%) and phone or other technology (38%) compared to women who were surveyed.
Vehicle or car parts were the least likely to be purchased on the internet in the last 12 months, according to 15% of respondents.
Aussies aren’t spending heaps when online shopping
What is the value of your most expensive online purchase?
Australia
The most expensive online purchase for most shoppers (40%) falls in the $100-$500 range, while a quarter of those surveyed said the most expensive online purchase falls between $500-$1,000.
Just over 20% said they had purchased online with the value between $1,000-$5,000.
Only 1% of those surveyed said the most expensive online purchase was more than $5,000.
Which of these products would you not consider purchasing online?
Gender
| Female | Male | Australia | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groceries or food | 15.4% | 21.5% | 18.2% |
| Clothes or shoes | 13.3% | 14.8% | 14% |
| Jewellery | 21.2% | 33.3% | 26.8% |
| Gifts that are delivered straight to the recipient | 8.4% | 9.9% | 9.1% |
| Electrical appliances | 15.4% | 14.4% | 14.9% |
| Homeware and furniture | 13.1% | 13.1% | 13.1% |
| Sporting equipment | 11.3% | 11.4% | 11.3% |
| Vehicle or car parts | 26.8% | 23.6% | 25.3% |
| Phone or technology | 16.3% | 16.7% | 16.5% |
| Beauty items or makeup | 10.9% | 13.7% | 12.2% |
| Pet products | 9% | 12.7% | 10.7% |
| Other | 1.1% | 1.5% | 1.3% |
| There’s nothing I wouldn’t buy online | 40.9% | 32.2% | 36.8% |
Almost 40% of those surveyed said ‘There’s nothing I wouldn’t buy online’, although jewellery topped the list of things respondents wouldn’t buy on the internet (27%).
Vehicle or car parts came in second at 25% of goods that survey respondents would not purchase online.
Aussies plan on continuing the online shopping spree
Do you expect to make more or less online purchases in the next 12 months?
Australia
More than half of all respondents (68%) said they planned to continue or increase their online purchases in the next 12 months.
Only 18% of respondents said they were ‘unsure’ if they would make more or less online purchases in the next 12 months, with 14% stating they would shop online less.
Age
Almost a third of respondents aged 18-27 said they planned to increase their online shopping in the next 12 months, with those aged 58-64 saying they would shop online the same amount (58%).
Those aged 18-27 also were the age group that fared the highest for stating they would shop online less within the next 12 months (24%).
Respondents aged 48-57 were the most unsure about making more or less online purchases in the next 12 months (25%).
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