Online Shopping Statistics Australia [2020, 2021 & Beyond]
Written by, Alex Bosnjak
Updated April, 17, 2022
Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, online businesses have benefited from it and grown immensely. Particularly in Australia, the number of people shopping online increased sharply. According to online shopping statistics for Australia in 2020, long periods of lockdown and closure of brick and mortar businesses led most people to adopt online shopping.
Reading and understanding such statistics can help retailers and businesses to make wise decisions about their growth. Also, it allows online companies to refine their requirements and get to know their customers.
You can get clear insights on ecommerce development in Australia and globally. The stats below indicate how much the industry will grow in the future.
Interesting Online Shopping Statistics for Australia in 2020 & 2021
- In 2021, 9.1 million Australian households shopped online.
- In 2020, Aussies spent about $50.46 billion online.
- According to a 2021 Christmas shopping expectations survey, the expected average gift spending was upwards of 700 AUD for every shopper.
- About 75% of the Australian population shops online.
- Approximately 90% of Australian online shoppers used mobile phones for shopping online in 2020.
- About 2.6 million Australian households made more than four online purchases in 2021, a 2.4% increase from 2020.
- In September 2021, the proportion of online sales in Australia for all retailing was approximately 15.3% — the highest during the entire period of collecting this data.
- Based on online shopping facts, in December 2021, the national purchase growth rate increased to 1.5% compared to 2020 — 35% higher than 2019.
- The highest of all-time Australian online shopping was in 2021. Online purchases saw a 57% growth year on year.
Ecommerce in Australia Statistics by Products
In 2020 and 2021, the online market observed heavy shopping for products usually sold in brick and mortar stores. According to Statista, here are the most popular categories:
- Clothing — 52%
- Shoes — 39%
- Food and drinks — 33%
- Consumer electronics — 29%
- Body care and cosmetic products — 29%
- Books, music, movies, and games — 27%
- Health and Drug store products — 25%
- Bags and accessories — 22%
- Household appliances — 25%
- Furniture and household goods — 19%
- Toy and baby products — 18%
- Pet Products — 17%
- DIY and gardening products — 12%
Online Shopping vs In-store Shopping Statistics for Australia
The COVID-19 pandemic saw the closure of many brick and mortar businesses. Lockdowns were imposed, and we had to deal with movement and travel restraints. People couldn’t shop offline, so they resorted to online shopping, leading to massive ecommerce growth in the country.
1. In 2021, 9.1 Million Australian Households Shopped Online.
Ecommerce in Australia has grown significantly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a recent industry report by Australia Post, more than nine million families bought products online from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021. That’s approximately four in five households, at a growth rate of 5.4% year-on-year.
In 2020, the COVID economic crisis affected many businesses in Australia and globally. But online companies soared to unimaginable heights according to online shopping Australia statistics.
2. During the 2020 Financial Year, Aussies Spent About $50.46 Billion Online.
Most consumers in 2020 preferred shopping online for day-to-day products. This surge in online shopping amounted to $50.5 billion. It increased the country’s year-on-year retail sales to 57%.
How Many People Shop Online in Australia?
In this part, I’ll go over how many people shopped online in 2020 and 2021.
3. Approximately 80%–82% of People Shopped Online in 2020.
Statista and Australia Post show that approximately 80% of the Australian population shopped online in 2020. In 2021, the online shopping rate was expected to reach 85.2% or 22 million people.
4. Approximately 60% of Australians Stated That Local and Online Businesses Needed Support During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Lockdowns, travel restrictions, and business closures slowed down shopping and shipping to Australia. So most Australians had no choice but to rely on local online businesses.
Online Shopping Statistics for Australia 2021 and Beyond
Here, I collected stats to show how much COVID-19 impacted online shopping.
5. Ecommerce in Australia Increased Online Shopping to Over 55% in December 2020.
The COVID-19 restrictions increased online shopping in Australia. Compared to December 2019, it went up by 55.2% in 2020. October and November 2020 held the highest record, respectively, at 70% and 67.3%.
6. The Ecommerce Industry in Australia Is Estimated to Experience a 10.3% CAGR From 2020 to 2024.
Statistics forecast the growth of online shopping in Australia will steadily rise to generate a revenue of $77.1 billion by 2024.
One of the major factors driving this growth is the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the situation is under control and some restrictions have been lifted, most consumers have adopted online shopping behaviour due to convenience.
Conclusion
Since 2019, Australia has shown upward online shopping trends that rose even higher in 2020 and 2021 during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, Australia was ranked 11 globally as one of the largest ecommerce markets, with annual revenue of $31 billion.
75% of Australians shop online. Read the ecommerce stats above to find out more.
FAQ
Who are the top online retailers in Australia?
Several online retailer giants are operating in Australia. Woolworths.com.au is the leading Australian ecommerce retailer, with net sales of $1,705 million in 2021.
Another major Australian online retail store is Ozbargain, attracting up to 1.3 million visitors per month. Also, the JB Hi-Fi is an online entertainment retailer with over 5.2 million organic traffic.
Is Australia friendly for ecommerce growth?
The ecommerce sector in Australia has had a sharp rise since 2020. Based on ecommerce Australia statistics, online sales increased to 31.8% during the 2020/2021 financial year. So, you can start an ecommerce store knowing it’ll perform well. The future of ecommerce in Australia and globally is bright.
How many Australian businesses are online?
Approximately 47.1% of businesses in Australia have an online presence. But most small businesses in the country don’t have an online platform.
What is the frequency of online shopping in Australia?
About one million more Australian households shopped online every month in 2020 compared to the previous year. Additionally, in 2020, about 1.36 million Australians shopped online for the first time.
What do the online shopping statistics for Australia in 2020 show?
M commerce stats show that more than 90% of Australians use their mobile phones to shop online. Ecommerce amounted to approximately 2% of the country’s GDP in 2020. Plus, online shopping increased to over 55% in December 2020.