Australians Shopping Online in record numbers
Published on May 6th, 2014
Australians Shopping online more than ever
Australians Shopping Online in record numbers.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2012-13, over three quarters (76 per cent) of Australia’s 15.4 million internet users made a purchase online. Even your traditional retailers are getting in on the act.
The Internet has given rise to’ e-commerce only’ retail companies locally such as consumer electronics retailer Kogan or internationally fashion retailer, ASOS.com.au. Both companies are consistently reporting growth year on year. These examples are just some of the more well-known pure online retailers doing well.
But even today the traditional retailer still has the ability to fight back. A skilled retailer can fight back by offering more to his customer than just cheap prices. Excellent customer service and an in-store knowledgeable sales teams are still valuable.
Online: is it a strategy that can work?
But if properly combined with a clever online strategy, make no mistake that bricks and mortar retailers are still delivering dividends to shareholders and owners.
One such example as recently as two weeks ago Dick Smith reported sales growth in store of 4% and online of 47%. These figures suggest that our paying customers are becoming increasingly aware of, and interested in, making purchases online.
What does the future of retail look like?
Beyond 2014, we predict that traditional physical retailers will have to create and maintain a presence both physically and on the Internet. This will allow retailers to remain competitive in the coming years. Likewise, increased globalisation amongst international retailers (such as ASOS) are also having a go in the Australian market. This will mean that retailers will have to work harder than ever before to grab the attention of their customers.
A competitive, and sales-driven e-commerce website will be the key to producing online sales. Get ready for a revolution in the way that retailers sell their products both in-store and online.
