As a nation, Australians love to shop online. Anywhere, anytime. At the gym, in a meeting, on a date. Nowhere is too sacred to confirm that purchase.

According to new research by customer engagement specialist Emarsys, online shopping is one of the country’s favourite habits. With a sample of over 1,000 Australian consumers, 47 percent prefer e-commerce. 

The devices used to shop online

The study not only looked at how many of us are shopping online, but how we are doing it. Facebook takes the lead as the online platform most Australians are using to shop online, with 36 percent. After that, Facebook’s sister company also under the Meta banner, Instagram has 30 percent of online shoppers. TikTok is continuing to gain momentum as 23 percent of respondents say they shop through the platform.

These platforms can be dependent on the age demographic as well. Gen Z shoppers are most likely to rely on Instagram and TikTok whilst Millennials turn to Facebook.

As social media has become embedded into the Australian way of life, shopping anywhere is also part of our lives. The excitement of being able to make purchases from the click of a button has led to over 75 percent of consumers having over three devices to shop from. Twenty percent of millennials have up to six devices to shop from, including smart speakers.

Mobile phones continue to dominate as the most used device for making purchases. Over a sixth of Aussies report getting frustrated when they can’t make a purchase due to poor internet connection. A quarter have even credited online shopping on mobile devices to have made it easier to connect with friends as they can send them links to products they like.

“Today’s consumers are far from being constrained to physical stores – we’re lucky enough to be able to shop from practically anywhere,” commented Joanna Milliken, CEO, Emarsys. “Consumers are more confident than ever in navigating the ecommerce world, and they’re evolving as a result of the options available to them.

No place is too sacred to shop

Aussie consumers revealed their top places to shop on their mobile devices. These include the bed (62 percent), on holiday (53 percent) and at the dinner table (41 percent). Female consumers were twice as likely to have shopped in these scenarios respectively. Interestingly, male consumers were twice as likely to shop on a date compared to female counterparts.

Over one-third of respondents have shopped on their mobile while queuing at a physical store. And, 17 percent of us admitted to shopping while in a work meeting. This figure is closely linked to the adoption of hybrid work.

“Marketers need to invest in the full omnichannel approach that not only amplifies the customer experience but gives customers several platforms to choose from. Consumers aren’t picky with their online preferences, but they are persuaded by the brands making their presence known on specific social media platforms. To match pace and keep a competitive edge in a globally connected retail world, brands need to offer multiple touchpoints to remain one step ahead,” says Kristyn Wallace, vice president APJ at Emarsys.