strategy | Internet Marketing Blog

Will 2013 be the year Australian retailers embrace new technology?

According to many industry experts, Australian retailers need to start incorporating new technologies into their stores this year in order to better engage consumers.

The use of technology in stores has grown significantly over the past few years, and it doesn’t appear to be slowing down. QR codes on shopfronts, iPads in restaurants and businesses, mobile wallets, interactive advertising walls - the list goes on.

by Claire Brinkley 29 January 2013 22:15pm 2 comments

Three essentials of Android design DNA

For many years since its release, the Android OS has been behaving like a teenager in the grip of raging hormones. Growth has been nothing short of explosive and the changes have been sweeping and profound.

With the release of Ice-Cream Sandwich OS, the UI standards and design elements have changed dramatically and the platform has really matured and even stabilized somewhat.

Nevertheless, the OS has retained it’s rebellious hacker DNA with unique features that are authentically Android.

by Greg Nudelman 25 January 2013 15:29pm 0 comments

Woolworths and Wesfarmers become top-20 global retailers, as digital remains front of mind

Two Australian retailers have made it onto a list of the top-20 global retailers, showing that despite the current economic situation, some businesses are still thriving.

Both Woolworths and Wesfarmers made it on to Deloitte’s Top-250 retailers list, which was released in their 16th annual Global Powers of Retailing report. Ranked 17 and 18 respectively, they were the only Australian companies to have the required $3.5bn turnover needed to make the cut.

by Claire Brinkley 16 January 2013 22:15pm 0 comments

Online sales in Australia reach record high

Online sales in Australia reached a record high in the year to November 2012, with Australian consumers spending some $12.6bn online.

November proved to be the peak month for internet sales, with online retail surging by 15% and the National Australia Bank Online Sales Index rising to 241 points, up 32 points from October.

by Claire Brinkley 13 January 2013 22:15pm 0 comments

Research: Australian consumers want retail experiences to be digital

The promise of a new year has resulted in a lot of speculation about what the state of retail will look like over the next twelve months.

Mobile has continually been hailed as the top trend to watch, along with an increase in the number of Aussie retailers heading online and a focus on using data more intelligently to personalise communications and customer experiences.

But this is from within the boundaries of the industry itself... What are the thoughts and opinions of consumers?

by Claire Brinkley 20 December 2012 23:24pm 1 comment

Will 2013 be the year of conversion optimisation?

For what feels like the last five years it has been predicted that "next year will be the year of mobile."

Well perhaps 2012 was finally that year in many aspects, and long live the multichannel shopper I say. So before I start seeing "2013 will be the year of the tablet", I'm hoping that 2013 will finally be the year of conversion optimisation.

To be more precise this is actually profit optimisation, but let’s not muddy the waters too much and just focus on the big C for now.

Here are the predictions from me and my team at PRWD for what 2013 has in store for the testing and optimisation industry. What do you think?

by Paul Rouke 19 December 2012 13:10pm 14 comments

M-commerce spikes in Australia

The number of consumers using mobile devices to make purchases this holiday season has skyrocketed, setting December up to be the most digitally connected Christmas that Australia has ever seen.

According to PayPal Australia, 22% of Aussies have used mobile devices to make a purchase so far this Christmas and it is estimated that $5.6 billion worth of purchases will be made on mobile phones by the end of 2012.

This is considerably higher than the $155 million spent in 2010, showing that mobile shopping is quickly growing in popularity.

by Claire Brinkley 17 December 2012 22:00pm 0 comments

Digital priorities and challenges for Australian retailers in 2013

With only weeks left before the end of the 2012, most retailers already have their strategies in place to ensure success and growth for their business in the new year.

We've already detailed how retailers in the region are currently, optimistic about overall sales performance, but are still generally neglecting the opportunities found online.

As part of an analysis towards changing this mindset, there are three areas of focus that needs to be considered.

by Claire Brinkley 16 December 2012 22:00pm 0 comments

Australians prefer local online stores.. but only if the price is right

In a recent survey, 98% of Australians cited that they would prefer to make online purchases from local retailers - but a huge 85% are instead turning to overseas stores, in order to secure cheaper prices and better deals.

The findings come from MasterCard’s latest survey, which found that Australians consciously want to support local online retailers and would actively seek them out to make purchases, but only if prices were competitive to those offered by overseas retailers.

by Claire Brinkley 11 December 2012 22:39pm 0 comments

Australian retailers in high spirits during the lead-up to Christmas

Australian retailers are entering into the Christmas season with high spirits, but few expect to see more than 2% of sales from their online channel, according to a new Deloitte report.

The Christmas Retailers’ Survey 2012 found many interesting trends regarding the current state of retail in Australia, yet the key issue within the findings appeared to be that online is still not a top priority for retail heads.

by Claire Brinkley 09 December 2012 22:44pm 0 comments