"There’s no doubt about it: the internet has revolutionised the way we shop, giving us unprecedented access to the global marketplace.
But in great news for Aussie online retailers, the majority of Australians prefer to buy from local rather than overseas websites."
Roy Morgan Research executive Geoffrey Smith has delivered a shot in the arm for local retailers in the lead up to Christmas.
The latest findings from Roy Morgan Research reveal Brand Australia is back.
In the 12 months to September 2014, 38 per cent of Australians 14+ (or 7,387,000 people) bought one or more products over the internet in an average four week period.
Almost two-thirds of them (64 per cent, or 4,730,000 people) purchased locally, while 39 per cent (2,896,000) bought from overseas websites.
Smith said there have been some interesting trends in fashion.
"Much of the retail conversation over the last few years has focused on women’s fashion.
"The race for Australian stores to develop an online presence so they can compete with well-established overseas competitors has received much coverage and commentary.
"In the midst of all this focus on women’s fashion, it looks like the new fashion battleground may be for men’s clothing.
"With a higher ranking on the overseas online stores’ list and nearly as many customers, it could be the category that local retailers need to watch.
Only six out of 51 product categories were more commonly purchased from overseas websites: video games and consoles, ebooks, books, jewellery and watches, TV show downloads and fashion accessories.
For everything else, from women’s clothing, cosmetics and skincare, to toys, travel and homewares, local websites come up trumps.
The top-selling products locally are tickets to movies, shows and other events (purchased by 830,000 Australians in an average four weeks), followed by travel items such as tickets and accommodation (785,000 people), and fast food/meals (569,000), all of which would usually be impractical or inappropriate to buy via foreign websites.
Ebooks and books are the most popular items bought from overseas online retailers, no doubt due to the low prices offered on websites like Amazon and the Book Depository compared with those of Australian retailers.