Almost three in four Australians bought a product during end-of-year sales in 2024, with over a third first-time shoppers.
New data from Australia Post showed the surge in interest in the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales drove a record high number of deliveries, with nearly 103 million parcels sent to front doors in November and December, a 3.1 percent increase from the previous year.
Australia Post Executive General Manager Parcel, Post and eCommerce services Gary Starr said their research revealed 72 percent of Australians took advantage of the sales while shopping for Christmas last year.
Mr Starr said 37 percent of Australians said they were first-time shoppers in the Black Friday or Cyber Monday online sales.
He said a record number of 7.6 million households made an online purchase in November and December, up 2.4 percent from the previous year.
“The surge in online shopping was driven by convenience, with 67 percent of consumers citing it as the top reason for shopping online followed by saving money (53 percent) and avoiding crowds or in-store shopping (53 percent).
Mr Starr said with cost-of-living pressures top of mind for many Aussie households, almost 70 percent of Australians bought over half their Christmas presents during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend sales.
“It’s been a record peak period for Australia Post, with more online purchases being made and more parcels being delivered throughout November and December than ever before.
“What fuelled this record period wasn’t just our regular online shoppers buying more. Our research indicates the number of first-time online shoppers also increased.
“Growing trust in eCommerce continues to influence shopping habits, with half (49%) of Australians reporting greater trust in online shopping compared to previous years.”
