Online retailers should be prepared for a record breaking sales month in June, according to new research by eBay.
The company predicts that Australian consumers will spend $25 million more than the same time last year on the eBay alone.
The site has seen June sales grow at 28% over the past five years and it is expected that more than 12.5 million items will be purchased over the course of the month.
Further research conducted by YouGov on behalf of eBay revealed that consumers also intend to spend millions more across the industry than in the same period last year.
This predicted spike in sales has been attributed to a recently identified consumer behaviour called ‘buy-bernation’.
The trend is based around consumers leaning more toward online shopping rather than leaving the house and braving the colder temperatures.
The research also revealed that 37% of consumers cited comfort as a priority for online shopping, with a further 63% of Australians planing to stay in during the colder months, 42% of which will shop online more often during this period.
eBay spokesperson and trend watcher Megan English said while annual sales will remain important, it is vital that online retailers continue to offer unique deals and savings across the board.
“End of Financial Year sales have always been strong but are becoming more and more lucrative for retailers who are able to cater to the newly evolved kinds of shoppers out there.
“It’s going to be important to deliver deals and savings that are contextual to winter and pop-culture moments, not just those items that traditionally perform well when discounted.”
The company has predicted that Australians will spend more than 19 million hours on the eBay site browsing, at an average rate of 10 minutes per session.
The most active postcodes for the month have been identified as Werribee, Cranbourne, Hoppers Crossing and Frankston in Victoria and Liverpool in NSW.