E-commerce platform, BigCommerce, has released new insights into global consumers' shopping habits, in its 2018 Omnichannel Buying Report.
The report collates data from nearly 3000 survey respondents and provides information on the roles offline and online retail channels play in consumers' shopping behaviours.
According to the research; Australians spend one of every four dollars of discretionary income online; 48% of the Aussie respondents visited a brand's website before making a purchase in a physical retail store; and, 26% will attempt to price match online.
BigCommerce group product manager, Jordan Sim, said that the Australian market is very different to the rest of the world.
“In Australia, we’re seeing a huge shift in the retail industry. Consumers are calling for the barriers between online and in-store shopping to be broken down as they seek a smoother shopping experience across platforms.
“The Australian market is proving to be a unique beast compared to other markets, and retailers need to listen to how Australians are actually shopping today.
“Our hope is that these insights will provide retailers with the tools and knowledge they need to create shopping experiences that inspire customer loyalty and drive conversion.”
Source: BigCommerce 2018 Omnichannel Buying Report
According to the study, Aussies spend five percentage points less (26%) than their global counterparts online and limit the monthly online spend to $670 – significantly less than the UK shoppers who spend $1305 and the US consumers who spend $1130, per month online.
Australian consumers are increasingly shopping on their mobile, with 39% indicating that they have shopped this way, compared to 41% shopping on a desktop.
The data also reveals that 28% of the Aussie respondents like to read customer reviews before making a purchase, while 31% indicated that TV advertising plays an influential role in making a purchase – six percentage points higher than the rest of the world.
Local retailers can rejoice, as 57% of the Australians surveyed indicated that the presence of large international retailers such as Forever21 and Zara, will not impact their decision to buy from a local merchant.
To read the full report, click here.