Aussies are spending more online, but cart size is shrinking

Irene Dong

23rd Aug 2022

Australian consumers spent an additional $2.90 per online transaction last year, resulting in an average order value of $138 and a peak of $149 in June.

However, according to research released by e-commerce and marketplace platform Pattern, the size of shopping carts actually decreased, and order numbers shrank by 13 per cent.

“Representing 19.3 per cent of retail spend in the country, this share of wallet is significant and will continue to grow as consumers become accustomed to the convenience, simplicity and speed of e-commerce,” said Merline McGregor, GM at Pattern Australia.

“However, with inflation and cost-of-living pressures increasing, buyers are also being more discerning and investing in those key items they seek.” 

Additionally, brands’ e-commerce revenue growth in Australia fell to 1.92 per cent this year, which is less than the revenue growth experienced during last year’s lockdowns.

Despite the fact that new privacy policies permit consumers to refuse tracking, Pattern reports social media remains one of the most popular online selling channels, with a 9 per cent rise in both local shopper traffic and conversion.

“There has also been a notable increase in commercial content within social media feeds and with this, we’ve seen a decline in engagement across the industry,” added Merline. 

“Going forward brands should add more authentic content to their feeds to cut through the noise and build brand integrity during heavily promotional periods.” 

She adds that because mobile devices dominate the research and buying stages of the online shopper journey, brands must adapt their marketing and online stores to account for them. Additionally, brands must make sure that purchasing their products on mobile devices is simple and easy.