Australia has the third highest business-to-consumer e-commerce sales rates in the AsiaPacific region, according to a report by German-based research firm yStats.com.
The latest Asia-Pacific B2C e-Commerce Market Study found Australia has one of the most developed infrastructures, with internet penetration reaching more than 80 per cent of the total population and ranking third in the region.
High smartphone penetration in Australia contributed to strong growth rates of mobile commerce sales, estimated at double-digit percentage rates for the next three years.
Close to 50 per cent of the traffic to online shopping websites comes from mobile users, according to the report.
The yStats report showed between 2013 and 2018, the Asia Pacific e-commerce sector is forecast to grow by more than 20 per cent a year, with Australia cited as a front-runner in the region.
Australia had the third highest B2C e-commerce sales rates for the region, coming in behind China in first place and Japan in the number two spot.
The report found the travel sector accounted for around a quarter of total B2C e-commerce sales in Australia, while two of the most purchased physical product categories were electronics and fashion products, each accounting for more than 10 per cent of total sales.
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.
The report said 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.
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