Australians Showing More Confidence in E-Commerce

A survey by APT Strategies found that the average Australian online shopper is likely to be a wealthy male.

APT surveyed 12,000 people in June, 43 percent of which had purchased products and services online.

“The information contained in the surveys shows there is growing confidence in the security of Internet shopping, and increasing satisfaction with the whole online shopping experience,” said APT analyst Guy Cranswick.

According to APT’s data, the average Net shopper in Australia is around 30 years old, male, and wealthy, earning nearly $70,000 a year. Online shoppers also tend to be the main decision maker in their household, and just over half say they will vote for making Australia a republic when the issue goes to the voters in November of 1999.

Some of the results of APT’s survey were predictable. For example, consistent with most online shopping surveys, APT found that the more time Internet users spend online, the more likely they are to shop. Of the people who have been online for more than 18 months, 78 percent say they have have purchased goods online on more than 10 occasions in that time. The APT survey also found that online shoppers are spending an average of $300 online each year.

Of those respondents who have already made an online purchase, 75 percent plan to buy books online in the next six months, while nearly as many plan to buy CDs online. More than half (58 percent) say they will probably buy sex products online, while only 42 percent say they will buy groceries via the Internet.

“This is not all about buying on the Net,” said APT managing director Marc Phillips. “Two-thirds of people who use the Net to purchase products are also expecting to pay bills online in the next six months. That’s not buying, that’s convenience.”