What do David Jones customers do more than those who shop at rival Myer?
Shop online, according to the the latest retail tracking by Roy Morgan Research.
Around one in two department store customers also purchase over the internet, with David Jones and Myer customers more likely to shop online over those at Target, Kmart and Big W.
More than half (53 per cent) of Australians aged 14+ who shopped at David Jones over a four week period also purchased online in that time frame.
The tracking showed 47 per cent of Myer customers shopped online, up from 37 per cent.
Roy Morgan Research industry communications director Norman Morris said it is clear department store shoppers are increasingly willing to at least try purchasing products online.
“Customers at Myer and David Jones are clearly comfortable also shopping online, whether it’s for products and brands unavailable at the department store or for the same goods at better prices.
“This could be seen by the department stores as either an opportunity to pitch their own emerging online stores to these web-savvy customers, or a risk through lost in-store sales opportunities.
“Whether people buy online or not has a lot to do with where they sit on the Technology Adoption Curve: early adopters are much more likely to buy online than those at the ‘lagged’ end.
“It is clear that department store shoppers are increasingly willing to at least try purchasing something online. The strong dollar is attractive for those willing to risk buying from overseas, and with some local online retailers offer free delivery and returns, buying online is less risky than ever before.”
David Jones was among the last major Australian retailers to launch a full e-commerce site, unveiling it in November 2012.