Downtown Tauranga manager Kirby Weis said only a small percentage of people in New Zealand shopped online - about 5 per cent - and the majority of consumers preferred to shop in person. "I don't think it's a big threat for businesses but businesses need to be aware of it.
"Being multi-channelled is not a bad thing," he said.
"Businesses need to look at how they can complement their businesses while focussing on what can't be bought online, and that's service and being able to touch the product and really know what you're buying.
"I prefer to see, touch and feel exactly what I'm buying."
New Zealand Retailers Association spokeswoman Louise Evans McDonald said she thought the Bay of Plenty was in a similar situation to the rest of the country in that while online shopping was growing, it was still only a small portion of retail sales.
"The other thing to consider is the highest amount of spending online tends to be in travel and accommodation."
Lassoo director Anna St George said results revealed more people were shopping online and detailed how often they did so and what sort of items they bought.
"Currently most purchases online (about 70 per cent) are valued at under $100 but, interestingly, 10 per cent of men have spent more than $400 on a single purchase on the net whereas only 4 per cent of women have." with APN