A new publication by Hamburg-based business intelligence organization yStats.com, “Australia & New Zealand B2C E-Commerce Market 2014“, reports though smaller in population than some emerging B2C E-Commerce stars in the Asia-Pacific Region, these two countries do not falter in regional and global comparisons.
Australia ranks among the top 5 countries in B2C E-Commerce sales in the Asia-Pacific Region. It has one of the most developed infrastructures, with Internet penetration reaching over 80% of the total population and ranking third in the region. High smartphone penetration in Australia contributes to strong growth rates of M-Commerce sales, estimated at double-digit percentage rates for the next three years. Close to 50% of the traffic to online shopping websites comes from mobile users.
In regards to product categories in online purchases in Australia, travel accounts for around a quarter of total B2C E-Commerce sales. The two most purchased physical product categories are electronics and fashion products, each accounting for over a 10% share of the total sales.
An important feature of the market is the high share of cross-border sales. Australian shoppers are among the most active worldwide in terms of buying from foreign online merchants. Imports account for over half of all online retail sales in the country.
The leading players on the Australian market are foreign names, such as Amazon and eBay, which are among the most visited websites in the country. However, local merchants are rapidly emerging. The number of local online stores has tripled in recent years, and traditional retailers such as Woolworths, Big W, Coles, JB Hi-Fi, Target and Harvey Norman have made their way to the top 10 most popular shopping websites.
Active online shoppers and an advanced infrastructure have allowed New Zealand to rank among the top 20 countries worldwide in B2C E-Commerce potential despite the island nation’s small population size. Internet connectivity is well adopted in New Zealand and over half of adult population buys online. B2C E-Commerce is a high one-digit percentage of the total retail sales in the country.
Proliferation of online shopping on foreign websites is a trend in New Zealand, with over one third of all sales generated across the borders. The growth rate of cross-border shopping outpaces local online sales.
Interestingly, a significant share of online retail market in New Zealand is held by specialized food, groceries and liquor, which according to some estimates are even ahead of consumer electronics and fashion in terms of market share. Online marketplace Trade Me is the most popular destination for online shoppers, followed by a major retailer, the Warehouse, which has recently increased investment in development of its online retail channel.
