// E-commerce growth has exploded over the past decade. It’s also significantly reduced prices and forced many brick ‘n’ mortar stores to shut up shop or innovate…
A new national survey conducted by leading parcel delivery company CouriersPlease (CP) has found that after speaking to an independent panel of 1,000 Aussies who shop online, low prices rule.
The research also showed that when buying on price, customers didn’t have very high expectations of quality.
Paradoxically, the next most important issue to Aussie online shoppers after price was high quality.
… Come again?
The survey found that while 32% of Aussie online shoppers expected high quality products when buying over the web or an app, 57% wanted low prices. Furthermore, 67% of respondents said they read product reviews before purchasing online.
So we want our cake, and we want to eat it too.
Aussie shoppers were most disappointed with poor quality purchases when buying fashion online, followed by tech items and then jewellery, the research showed.
Overall, price trumps everything though.
Try before you buy?
During the early days of e-commerce, traditional retailers were worried about shoppers trying the products in the store then going off and buying it from someone else online.
CP’s research seems to contradict this concern, with only 26% of those surveyed saying they would see a physical product in-store before purchasing online.
Another important factor for online shoppers is the retailer’s returns policy.
Respondents indicated this as the third most important consideration when buying online, coming in at 36%, behind product reviews, and almost on par with product reputation.
This new research seems to paint a clear picture of the average Australian online shopper: savvy and price conscious.
It should be no surprise that online consumers are on the look out for a good deal. What seems clear is that with increased activity across all corners of online retail, the industry is heading for further price sensitivity as the world rushes to cheaper and cheaper stuff.
Meanwhile, the traditional retail outlet continues to suffer.
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| Most Important Factor for Aussie Online Shoppers | (%) |
| Low prices | 57% |
| High quality products | 32% |
| Getting the product quickly | 11% |
| Lowest Quality Shopping Categories | (%) |
| Fashion | 43% |
| Technology items and electronics | 22% |
| Jewellery | 20% |
| Health and beauty | 14% |
| Toys and baby products | 10% |
| Homewards and furniture | 10% |
| Sports, hobbies and outdoors | 9% |
| Foods | 9% |
| Flowers and hampers | 8% |
| Books, DVDs and stationery | 7% |
| Food and alcohol | 7% |
| White goods and appliances | 5% |
| How Aussies reduce chance of buying low-quality | (%) |
| Read reviews of the product online to ensure high quality | 67% |
| Only purchase brands whose products are good quality | 39% |
| Only purchase if full refund offered | 36% |
| Visit the physical product in-store prior to buying online | 26% |
| Won’t shop online if there’s no physical store | 8% |
| None of the above | 8% |
Research: CouriersPlease
