Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Video | Agriculture | Confidence | Economy | Energy | Employment | Finance | Media | Property | RBNZ | Science | SOEs | Tax | Technology | Telecoms | Tourism | Transport | Search

 

Over Half of New Zealanders Are Shopping Online

News Release

Over Half of New Zealanders Are Shopping Online

•          More than a quarter of online shoppers purchased 11 or more items last year
•          Consumers shop online to find best prices and deals  
•          Nearly $1 billion spent on international websites

Auckland, New Zealand – (10 June, 2013) – More than half of the population (54%) aged over 18 years are now shopping online (see chart 1), an increase from 38 percent of New Zealanders five years ago. The latest report from Nielsen, the leading global provider of information and insights, shows New Zealanders spent $3.7 billion in the last 12 months purchasing via the internet.  

The number of purchases being made per person has also grown significantly with 446,000 people making 11 or more transactions online in 2012, an increase of 44 percent from 2011 (310,000 people). This group now accounts for more than a quarter (27%) of online shoppers.   

Tony Boyte, Associate Director of Research, Nielsen said, “New Zealanders are becoming more and more comfortable shopping online. A tipping point has been reached and many more will now follow, by the end of the year we expect to see two million New Zealanders shopping online and spend to rise to $4 billion.”   

The most popular products and services are airline tickets with 47 percent of online shoppers purchasing from this category, followed by clothing/shoes/accessories (38%), books/magazines (32%), entertainment tickets (29%) and travel related services such as accommodation and car hire (28%).

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

Nielsen’s Online Retail Report identifies a combination of reasons consumers are shopping online (see chart 2). Shopping online is primarily driven by consumers finding better prices and deals and the ability to compare products and brands. Its convenience and time saving are also major drivers.

The convenience is magnified by the use of mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) for shopping online. Consumers are predominantly using these devices for research but a number of consumers are now actively using them to make an online purchase.

Over a quarter (26%) of online shopping spend is taking place on international websites. The choice of products and perceived price savings are the main contributors to this.

Boyte adds, “Purchasing offshore continues to rise and highlights the concerns of New Zealand retailers about how they can effectively compete with sales to international websites.”

CHART 1: NEW ZEALAND ONLINE SHOPPERS BY NUMBERS


Click for big version.

CHART 2: ONLINE PURCHASE DRIVERS RANKED BY IMPORTANCE


Click for big version.

Proportion of online shoppers ranking each statement a 4 or 5 in importance out of 5 Source: Nielsen Online Retail Report 2013

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Business Headlines | Sci-Tech Headlines

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.