New report reveals far-reaching impact on e-commerce.

 

The impact of the pandemic on Australia’s e-commerce market has been far-reaching as consumers have significantly increased their online search for categories and services.

 

Similarweb’s newly-released report Australia’s New Digital Consumer reveals that despite restrictions being lifted across Australia, consumer behaviours developed during the pandemic have stuck, and in many sectors, they’ve continued to accelerate. 

 

Online traffic to Australia’s top 250 e-commerce websites increased 41 per cent last year while in 2022, there were almost two billion more visits to top retailers compared to 2019.

 

The purchase rate surged by 4.53 per cent as shoppers switched to digital channels.

 

The report also found that with image-based shopping ads now appearing before both paid and organic search results, consumers are showing signs of adaptation to a new norm.

 

Click-throughs from these ads increased by almost 20 per cent in the last 12 months. 

 

This also includes ads in the ‘shopping tab’ under Google searches – which Google made free-to-use for Australian merchants in October 2020.

 

The report’s author Emannuel Heymann  said this highlights how crucial every bit of digital shelf space is, regardless of which online sector a business serves.  

 

“And these days there are more sectors competing online than ever before – products and services that only a few years ago you could only purchase by going to a shop, a studio, or an office, can all now be transacted online,” Heymann said.