Seeing huge growth.
When it comes to shopping, New Zealanders are increasingly going digital, with two-thirds shopping online in the last 12 months, up from 37% in 2006 and expected to hit 83% by 2026.
The New Zealand Connected Consumers Report looked at how online shopping has changed for Kiwis, resulting in a need for greater understanding of online shopping attitudes and behaviours.
The way people are using the internet to research and purchase items is evolving, with three-in-five New Zealanders using their smartphone or tablet while in-store to research an item before buying, Nielsen Media director, Tony Boyte said. But that doesn’t necessarily spell doom and gloom for bricks and mortar stores as four-in-five people say that they have looked at items online but ultimately bought in-store.
“To take on the challenges of consumers’ new purchasing habits, local retailers need to assist shoppers by creating the best end-to-end experience possible to drive sales and loyalty,” Boyte said.
With online shopping set to boom over the coming years, retailers should view innovation in their online experience and delivery as a priority, while always ensuring that this experience links seamlessly back to the consumer store experience where applicable.
“To anticipate the trends of the future, the industry must learn from current consumer behaviour and how New Zealanders are quickly adapting to the digital age,” Boyte said. “It will be interesting to see if the growth in online shopping continues as predicted with the introduction of GST for overseas online purchases less than $400.”