SYDNEY – In a report that will doubtless be well studied at Amazon’s new Australian marketing venture, Pitney Bowes says Australians are increasingly turning to online shopping after disappointing experiences with bricks and mortar stores.
Some 72 percent of shoppers told Pitney Bowes that they could not find a product in-store. Many said they were turning to overseas retailers online for more competitive pricing (64 percent), range selection (42pc) and quality (24pc).
And while Amazon prides itself on speedy delivery options, the survey suggest that 82 percent of Aussie shoppers wold prefer free shipping with a longer delivery time, rather than paying for shipping with a shorter delivery time (18 percent).
Pitney’s’ fourth annual Global Online Shopping Study says Australia experienced one of the highest rates of growth – 10 percent – in consumers shopping online during 2016.
While many Australians are shopping online, some 40 percent say the have experienced challenges with their online orders during holidays. Major problems included shipping tracking inaccuracies; and having items shipped to the wrong address or lost in mail, which doubled to 8 percent, from 4 percent last year.
