Three out of five Kiwis shopping online: Research

Research shows three in every five Kiwis are regularly shopping online. Photo / 123RF

Three out of every five Kiwis are shopping online at least once a month, according to research by credit card company Mastercard.

The research, which surveyed more than 1000 New Zealanders, found security and quality of goods to be top of mind for those shopping online.

Kiwis were also found to actively consider whether the business they are purchasing from is legitimate when shopping online, if the goods could be easily returned and the timeframe of delivery.

Mastercard New Zealand and Pacific Islands country manager Ruth Riviere said Kiwis had become aware of potential online scams.

"As more New Zealanders enjoy the benefits of online shopping, it is great to see a heightened awareness around cyber security and that Kiwis are actively thinking about the ability of online retailers to protect their data," Riviere said.

"Kiwis – and consumers all over the world over – want to know their data is secure when they are making a transaction.

"As cyber criminals become more sophisticated, retailers and financial providers need to work together to ensure we stay one step ahead."

Riviere said Mastercard wanted to move towards a token-only storage system of payment details to ensure safer online transactions.

"Tokenization is critical when it comes to helping to secure the digital world," she said. "Similar to payment that takes place in-store, tokenization and a move towards an industry wide online payment framework could help retailers move towards a payment process that is simple with a single, common online checkout button."

Retail NZ general manager of public affairs, Greg Harford, said the growth in online sales had been huge over a number of years.

"Customers appreciate the flexibility and convenience of online shopping, either to have goods delivered to them, to click and collect in-store, or even just to research their options before going in store," Harford said.

"Retail NZ's most recent information shows that about 8 per cent of all retail sales are currently done online, but this is growing rapidly."

Last year, online sales grew 17 per cent, compared to growth of 3.5 per cent in physical stores.

"We do substantially less online shopping than in markets like the UK, which suggests that we will continue to see rapid growth in online shopping over the next few years," Harford said. "The rise of online shopping forces retailers to be as competitive as possible, but they are reliant on great service from courier companies in order to get goods delivered.

"This is a real area of focus for Kiwi retailers, but in a long, lightly-populated country like New Zealand, it can be challenging to get same day or even next day delivery right around the country, especially outside Auckland."

Tips for safe online shopping

1. Monitor your bank account regularly

2. Be smart with your passwords

3. Make sure websites you purchase from have a padlock symbol

4. Inform your bank if you notice suspicious account activity