E-commerce | Internet Marketing Blog

Australia: Traditional retailers are heading online... and e-tailers are heading off

Some of Australia’s biggest retailers have recently spoken out at a conference in Melbourne saying that while selling online has the benefit of lower overheads, it is not yet as profitable as traditional bricks-and-mortar retailing.

by Claire Brinkley 21 May 2013 23:45pm 0 comments

Online sporting goods industry set to reach $1 billion in Australia

Australia’s online sporting and physical recreation goods industry is expected to hit a huge $1.04 billion by 2018, thanks in large part to a changing retail landscape and an ageing population.

A new IBISWorld report has forecasted that online stores selling goods such as bicycles, camping equipment, exercise and fitness tools (excluding apparel) will see revenue increase by an annualised 6.3% over the next five years.

And one of the reasons for this expected rise in revenue is Australia’s ageing population, who are focusing more on health and fitness after retirement.

by Claire Brinkley 02 May 2013 23:30pm 1 comment

Is editorial the new e in ecommerce?

Since the very first emergence of an add-to-basket logo, brands and publishers have been evolving their product content to create a more inspirational offering, one that can lead smoothly to a transaction.

However, the road from inspiration to transaction has often been a bumpy one.

by Kat Meadmore 12 April 2013 10:20am 4 comments

Australian consumers turn to domestic online retailers

Australian consumers are shying away from international online retailers if the recent NAB Online Retail Sales Index is anything to go by.

Domestic retail accounted for almost three-quarters (73%) of total online sales in Australia in January 2013, and domestic online retail sales saw a higher year-on-year growth than international, rising 28% vs 25%.

by Claire Brinkley 08 April 2013 22:30pm 0 comments

Online shopping: China leads the pack in the Asia-Pacific region

It seems China has some of the keenest online shoppers in the Asia-Pacific region, with Chinese consumers more likely purchase online than any other APAC country.

A new Mastercard study measured consumers’ tendencies to shop online between November and December 2012 and found that Chinese internet users shop online the most, registering a score of 102 on Mastercard’s Index for 2012, a figure that is up four points on the year prior.

According to the report, one of the main reasons for this rise in online shopping popularity in China is due to increased consumer confidence. Of those surveyed, only 21.4% felt unsecure when shopping online, down from 32.8% in 2011 and 35.3% in 2010.

by Claire Brinkley 02 April 2013 23:45pm 3 comments

Woolworths’ brand value soars, while the Australian gap between consumers and local retailers remains an issue

Woolworths has been named the top retail brand in Australia for the second year running, beating out supermarket competitor Coles by almost a billion dollars.

Interbrand’s 2013 Best Retail Brands report, which ranks the top retail brands around the world by value, placed Woolworths brand value at $4.57 billion, an increase of 9% on the year prior.

by Claire Brinkley 26 March 2013 22:00pm 0 comments

Stats: Multichannel commerce variations across countries, people and products

The global edition of our Internet Statistics Compendium saw a bumper update this month, collecting some of the most interesting freely accessible data published about all things digital – including social media, mobile and ecommerce.

One area which I think is particularly deserving of our analytical curiosity is multichannel commerce, and PwC’s recent report on the subject is excellent reading at a time when shopping across offline and online internationally is still a relatively mysterious beast.

by Luke Richards 26 February 2013 09:16am 0 comments

The power of phone numbers: eight benefits to Australian retailers

How many times have you been into a physical retail store wanting to purchase a product, but needed a question answered first?

As soon as you begin looking for help, you find an employee who provides a response giving you the confidence to purchase. This is usually a great experience.

But, what about the same scenario, only this time there are no employees around to help?

by Greg Randall 24 February 2013 22:00pm 0 comments

Five ways to work with content on ecommerce sites

Content for e-commerce Content is a common cause of headaches on ecommerce websites.

Hundreds and thousands of individual products, all with their own URL, all lacking any form of unique content to help them stand out both to users and search engines: this is an all too common occurrence in ecommerce.

I'm going to show you five simple ways to work with content to help it stand out, both on-page and in the search results.

by Peter Meinertzhagen 21 February 2013 11:44am 12 comments

Australian ecommerce: Nine stats you might have missed

The ecommerce landscape in Australia is becoming increasingly complex and although consumer spend continues to grow via online channels, retailers and marketers are seeing various positive and negative elements emerging in the marketplace.