NZ online shopping surges

Online shopping is surging in New Zealand, says new research, with 34 per cent of online sales going to overseas websites. Image / Thinkstock

New Zealanders have "well and truly embraced internet shopping" according to a Neilsen report released this morning.

The country's online shopping community has increased by more than 100,000 in the last year, representing growth of six per cent.

Neilsen research director, Tony Boyte, said he expected the increase in online shopping to continue, with the internet providing consumers with the ability to shop around and compare products from the comfort of their own home.

"Consumers shop online for convenience, which includes being able to compare products and prices. It's a trend that will continue to grow and with this, spend will increase substantially," said Boyte.

In the past year, New Zealanders have spent $3.8billion shopping online, with this figure expected to grow to $4.15billion by the end of 2014. Just under 34 per cent of sales, $1.3billion, were from websites based overseas, with the majority being spent in Australia, the US and the UK.

Neilsen's found that the most popular shopping purchases were airline tickets with 44 per cent of online shoppers purchasing from this category. Clothing goods came a close second with 40 per cent purchasing clothing, shoes and accessories in the last year.

"A considerable proportion of spend will continue to go off-shore but the opportunity remains for New Zealand retailers to take advantage of growth in the online retail space," Boyte said.
Read the Nielsen report here: