Online Shopping Statistics Australia

Updated

January 9, 2024

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Did you sit down on the bed to watch TV, and the mattress just sunk under your weight? 

Rather than forcing yourself to sit through the pain and discomfort, buying a new one would be best. But let us guess; you don’t want to venture out, go to the store, and carry back the new mattress all by yourself? 

If it seems like too much work, you could buy a comfortable and plush mattress online. In fact, most of your fellow Australians have already taken to online shopping. 

Don’t believe us? Read this guide, and you’ll see that the stats don’t lie. 

Quick stats:

  1. 51.1% of Australians have chosen to shop online since 2020.
  2. Australians spent a record $62.3 billion online in the last calendar year.
  3. The average Australian spends $228 on shopping every week.
  4. New South Wales residents spend an average of $257 weekly on online shopping.
  5. 51% of Australians are frustrated with delayed delivery.
  6. 5.3 million Australians shopped from social media platforms in 2020.

Australian Online Shopping Statistics 

1. How Much Time Do People Spend Shopping Online? 

Before reading this article, were you busy looking for a new mattress to buy on your smartphone? Since 2020, online retail shopping has boomed in Australia, with more people (51.1% to be exact) choosing to purchase items from the comfort of their homes. 

Here are a few important stats you should know about this topic:

  • Online retail sales have expanded by 15% from September 2021 
  • Over 5 million Aussie households are now buying stuff sitting on their couch
  • The most popular categories are appliances and homewares 
  • 3 out of 4 people are engaged in online shopping (excluding groceries)
  • People spend an average of 4.4 hours each week just browsing through various items 
  • In fact, men spend slightly more time (4.8 hours) than women (4.1 hours)

But Millennials, Gen Z and Gen X spend the maximum time online, shopping up to 5.6 hours per week. In comparison, people who are just getting to grips with online shopping don’t spend more than 2.5 hours every week buying stuff. 

2. Australian online retail growth data

  • More than 5 million households participate in online shopping each month in Australia
  • Online retail has increased by over $3 million since January 2020
  • In the last calendar year, Australians spent a record $62.3 billion online
  • 67% of consumers expect an increase in online delivery speed over the next 12 months
  • Almost 30% of Australian e-commerce businesses have reported a significant change in their revenue thanks to online sales
  • 90.4% of global internet users visit online retail stores
  • 30.3% of Australians have purchased online goods via social media
  • A third of Australians turned to online shopping over Christmas
  • Australian online shopping increased by 12.3% year on year in 2021-2022
  • The eCommerce and online shopping industry in Australia grew by 23.4% in 2022
  • The Australian Retailers Association reported that retail trade in Australia increased by 7.5% in December 2022 from the year prior
  • The eCommerce industry in Australia is expected to grow by 15.4% in 2023, with online sales accounting for 18.1% of total retail sales
  • The top-performing eCommerce categories in Australia in 2022 were homewares and appliances, fashion, and health and beauty
  • The value of online retail sales in Australia is projected to reach AUD 43.6 billion in 2023, up from AUD 32.6 billion in 2020
  • The annual growth rate of online retail spending in Australia is projected to be 10.6% between 2020 and 2023

These data points provide insights into the growth of online retail in Australia, including the increasing number of households participating in online shopping, the amount of money Australians are spending online, and the top-performing eCommerce categories. The data also highlights the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the eCommerce industry and the expected growth of online sales in the coming years.

3. Does Your Wallet Feel Lighter? 

It’s no wonder that people spending more time on online shopping platforms are splurging more than they used to, simply because it’s easier to shop. So, here’s an eye-brow raising statistic - the average Australian spends $228 on shopping every week

Quite something, right? But wait till we tell you that the major contributors are men, spending $288 compared to women who only spend $170. And as expected, newcomers contribute barely $54 while Gen Z stands on the podium as the biggest spenders at $308. 

We have gone a step further and also included region wise data to help you understand how major Australian locations rank in terms of online shopping. As per the findings:

  • New South Wales loves to shop online, splurging $257 weekly 
  • Victorians and Queenslanders spend $244 and $200, respectively 
  • Western and Southern Australians are more cautious, showing similar expenses of around $164-169 
  • Also, the small island of Tasmania is outperforming bigger Australian states with a weekly average of $178 
  • According to ABS data, Aussies spent $4.2 billion on online shopping in August 2021 
  • Online shopping contributed to 15% of retail sales 
  • Only 7.1% of Australians were online shopping as of March 2020 
  • Net spend has shot up by 36% and has increased by 114% from 2019 

4. Online Shopping Dislikes 

Despite the above statistics, Australians dislike some aspects of online shopping, such as longer processing times. With patience running shortly after the advent of digital shopping: 

  • 51% of people are fed up with delayed delivery. 
  • 50% are exasperated about the high shipping charges. 

Another crucial statistic relates to convenience, whereby: 

  • 44% of citizens felt irritated that the package went to the post office 
  • Issues with hidden fees, payment problems, and the inability to follow instructions 
  • 92% of millennials complained about these problems compared to 64% of newbies 

5. Social Media 

If we think of online shopping as a cuisine, social media is the chef serving up different delicacies.

It’s becoming increasingly common for people to use social media for their shopping needs: 

  • 5.3 million Australians shopped from various social media platforms in 2020 
  • That’s around 27% of all adults, and this number is expected to grow by 21% 
  • There will be 6.4 million online shoppers buying through social media

Shopping online vs in-store statistics

  • In 2022, the Australian consumer’s shift towards online shopping became even more pronounced. According to an Australia Post survey, the eCommerce and online shopping industry grew at 23.4%, while the non-food retail market grew by only 4.3% year on year
  • Australian online shopping increased by 12.3% year on year in 2021-2022, the last full year of available data, underscoring the fact that strong eCommerce growth is here to stay
  • More than 5 million households participate in online shopping each month in Australia
  • In the last calendar year, Australians spent a record $62.3 billion online
  • 67% of consumers expect an increase in online delivery speed over the next 12 months
  • Almost 30% of Australian e-commerce businesses have reported a significant change in their revenue thanks to online sales
  • 90.4% of global internet users visit online retail stores, and 30.3% of Australians have purchased online goods via social media
  • According to the Inside Australian Online Shopping eCommerce Industry Report by Australia Post, the eCommerce industry in Australia is expected to grow by 15.4% in 2023, with online sales accounting for 18.1% of total retail sales
  • The same report also found that the top-performing eCommerce categories in Australia in 2022 were homewares and appliances, fashion, and health and beauty
  • The report also revealed that the average online shopping cart value in Australia is $128, while the average in-store shopping cart value is $60
  • According to Statista, in 2022, 60% of Australian consumers shopped online at least once a month, while 40% shopped online less frequently
  • The same source also reported that in 2022, 70% of Australian consumers preferred to shop in-store, while 30% preferred to shop online

Mattress Market 

The Australian mattress market has benefited hugely from the craze for online shopping, especially due to greater exposure, rising populations, and higher incomes. Also, with changing work cultures, the mattress has become symbolic of urbanisation, and we can categorise them based on type, end-user, and distribution channel. 

A. Hotel Industry Leading The Way

If you think about which businesses contribute to the most mattress sales in Australia, then hotels come out on the top of the list. Geographically speaking, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Sydney are the leaders due to an increase in hotel infrastructure. 

By 2025, the online sale of hotel mattresses is expected to rise by 3%, with King and Queen products proving the most popular. You can also expect to see new additions like oil-scented mattresses featuring integrated technologies. 

B. Spring Is King 

The most popular mattress type on the market is the spring mattress, accounting for ⅔ of the total revenue. That’s a staggering figure, with latex and foam mattresses making up the remaining numbers. 

We can only expect more spring and coil mattresses to be available online since people love the firmness and support they offer. You’ll find that every product provides something different, be it Marshall, Bonnet, or continuous coil mattresses, due to their different spring arrangements and comfort levels. 

C. Most Popular Mattress Brands 

It’s no surprise that some of the most popular mattress brands operate online like:

Plus, with more online mattress companies throwing their hats into the ring, future sales will be dominated by customisations and pocket spring mattresses

  • Share of Queen and King mattresses will increase up to 47% by 2023
  • Revenue share of pocket spring mattresses will skyrocket to 62% as early as 2023 
  • Higher domestic sales and organised distribution will be the norm.

Key Online Mattress Market Statistics 

Let’s look at some key sleep statistics that are driving the sales of mattresses online in Australia. 

  • Comfort is the most important aspect for Australians when choosing a mattress 
  • 22% of Aussies are unhappy with the mattress they own
  • 20% are sleeping on mattresses over a decade old 
  • Further 20% experience neck and back pain while sleeping 
  • 55% are willing to purchase a mattress online 
  • 53% have no issues spending $1,000-$3,000 on a new mattress 
  • 80% prefer Australian made mattresses 
  • 61% of people have a Queen bed 

Perhaps the most shocking stat of all is that more than half of Australian citizens (55%) felt that they don’t get sound sleep. They rated their sleep quality as “poor” or “fair” at best, showing their desire to change their existing mattress. 

The retail landscape has evolved drastically over the last decade, and now 58% of the population does an internet search before purchasing new mattresses. Even more impressive is that almost all of them - 55% - go on to buy mattresses online, leading to growing demands for mattresses-in-a-box

Yet another factor that has contributed to the popularity of online purchases is people’s sleeping position. There are specific mattresses for different sleepers, but almost 40% of Australians prefer the back and side posture. 

Other popular sleep positions include: 

  • Side only - close to 30% 
  • Back, side, and front - slightly less than 20% 
  • Side and front - just over 10% 

Future Trends

With an ever-expanding online mattress trade combined with the benefits of online shopping, how will the Australian market fare in the future? As it stands, the market size of the online shopping industry is $47.9 billion, and it’s expected to increase by 8.9% in 2022. 

We have seen that the online shopping industry has grown faster than the Australian economy, recording a 19.6% growth over the previous 5 years. And it’s only going to keep increasing, provided that companies can deal with low barriers to entry. 

Among all the positives, the entry of new online stores and a wide range of products, not just mattresses, will guarantee a wider reach. Also, technological growth such as better software and internet connections should allow brands to develop more interactive and accessible websites. 

Conclusion

We hope that we didn’t bore you with all the facts and data, but they were essential so that you can make an informed purchase. 

You now know about past, present, and future trends of the online shopping industry in Australia, so we suggest you switch to the digital space. There’s no denying the convenience of online shopping, and we don’t want you to be left behind. 

More and more people are buying innovative and plush mattresses online from the comfort of their homes.

Hence, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that online shopping portals are the future, providing people with anything they need at the click of a button.