By revenue Australia ranks tenth in the e-commerce market in the world. The country has a total population of 25 million people out of which 21 million access the internet. 73 percent of this 21 million have bought items online in the year 2018, as per reports. The e-commerce sector of the country is a well established one because majority of the population is wealthy.
Australia Post is a company which is responsible for delivery of e-commerce items throught the country. Reports made by this company says that between 2017 and 2018 the total revenue generated from e-commerce sector was 27.5 million Australian dollars and it has been growing every year by 20.2 percent. With retail growing at 6 percent every year, e-commerce contributes to 10 percent of the revenue.
Australian consumers purchase maximum items in the categories of fashion, variety stores and home and appliances. Variety stores have 35.6 percent consumers, fashion comes second with 27 percent and home and appliances have 11.5 percent consumers. With the introduction of AfterPay in 2015 consumers in Australia can easily pay for the products in instalments without any interest.
The e-commerce market in Australia is a mix of American brands, UK brand and other local brands. Following is the list of the top ten e-commerce sites operating in Australia.
Top 10 Australian E-Commerce Platforms
eBay Australia
With 68.22 million monthly visitors eBay Australia is one of the most popular sites. It was established in the year 1999, becoming the first e-commerce platform to reach Australia. In the US the company was launched just four years back. Since its launch this site has been on the top of the list of e-commerce market in Australia.
The services are similar to the one in the international platforms. On this site both individuals and companies can sell their products. Consumers can get the products either directly from the sellers or through auctions from their platforms. On this site you can get items in the categories of motors, electronics, fashion, home, garden, collectibles and much more. You can also get some second hand products at lesser rates on this site. The interface has a simple design and is easy to use. The search bar helps you to look for specific products and there is also an option to look for products category wise. All the services provided by this site makes it a popular site among the Australians.
Gumtree Australia
This site is a UK based company and it was launched in Australia in the year 2007. Since then it has been on the top of the list and is one of the most popular classified sites in Australia. Millions of Australians sell and buy their goods on this site. It is the only UK based company which has made its way in this list.
The categories included in this site are fashion and accessories, motor vehicles, home, garden, real estate, jobs, hiring services and many more. The site has around 33.57 million monthly visitors. The homepage has a gallery displaying some popular products. A recently viewed section will show you products you have gone through already. There is a search bar option but that can be used only when you sign in. For selling products you can post an ad on the site. On this site you can also read books and view shows. There is a separate section for the shows you are watching. Recently the site has included a section which keeps you updated with the latest information on the COVID 19 pandemic.
Amazon Australia
This is the largest e-commerce site in the US and it was started in the year 1994. The site offers a platform for sellers and consumers get a large range of goods to choose from. Amazon provides the largest variety of goods in the world.
Amazon has been delivering its goods to Australia for a long time and the company was set up in the country in 2017. So, with only three years of operation the company has managed to become the third largest e-commerce site in Australia. The estimated number of monthly visitors to this site is 28.80 million. The site has a range of goods of different categories like digital media and e-books, fashion, home and appliances, beauty, garden, sports, electronics, fitness, automotive and many more. The site is a well maintained one and has an attractive interface. The search bar will let you look for specific products and you can also search category wise. You can also access Prime videos on Amazon with Prime membership. The services on this site are very promising which is the reason behind its success.
Woolworths
The site was started in Australia in the early 1920s. It started with brick and mortar stores across the states and territories. Later it launched the e-commerce site which has become one of the largest chain of departmental stores online. The site is a part of the Woolworths Group and brings to the consumers a wide range of groceries. There are many other goods and services too. Another interesting part of the site is that it offers recipes also.
In the food category you can get meat, fresh fruits and vegetables, seafood and deli, bakery and dairy items. The non food items available are in the category of health and beauty, household, lunchbox and other items. Items for babies and pet items are also available on the site. It has an attractive user interface. There are discounts available on special occasions. You can also access information about nearby stores from the site.
JB Hi-Fi
This brand is known for their supply of electronics and entertainment goods. It was founded in the year 1974 in Australia as a brick and mortar retail shop. JB Hi-Fi started the e-commerce site in the year 2000. It has been running successfully in the Australian market and it is the country’s leading supplier of electronic goods. New Zealand also has an extension of this business.
The electronic items available in the site are TVs, computers and tablets, smart home, headphones, speakers, microphone, drones and robotics, gaming, and multiple home appliances. The site has around 17.18 million monthly visitors. It is known as the largest home entertainment service in Australia. The user interface is an attractive and engaging one. It displays the latest releases in electronics and the new trends regularly. You can also avail discounts and other interesting offers from this site. On the top of the homepage there is an option using which you can look for the stores in and around your location. There is a separate section for the gift cards as well. Using the search bar you can browse for products of your choice.
Kmart Australia
This is also an Australian born retailer. The company started in the year 1967 with variety stores which were selling products at cheap rates. The company has its online presence in both Australia and New Zealand with over 200 brick and mortar stores across both the countries.
The categories included are home and garden, electronics, sports, gifts, men, women, kids, babies, parties, fashion and many other. The site is popular among the Australians for the items in the fashion category. It is known for selling goods on discount. The items in all the categories are low priced. Good quality items available at low prices makes the site a favorite among the consumers. The user interface is attractive and well organised. The search bar lets you look for products. You can also find nearby stores on the site. The site around 16.90 million visitors per month. You can get a club membership to avail free shipping. You can return products within 28 days of delivery.
Big W
It is part of the Woolworths Group. This one is also an Australian retailer which offers items at great discounts. The company was started in 1950 with a brick and mortar store. Currently the company has 180 stores across the country.
The company started its online store in the year 2010 and since then it has been giving a tough competition to Kmart. It has become one of the leading e-commerce sites in the country. The major categories in the site are baby, men, women, kids, home, travel and outdoor. There are multiple subcategories under these categories and there are a wide variety of items available for the consumers. The number of visitors on the site is around 12.28 million on a monthly basis.
It offers free pick up and Woolworths rewards. All the categories are listed on the home page so consumers can easily navigate to their area of choice. A catalogue of the products is also available on the site. The services on the site make it one of the top e-commerce sites among the Australians.
Kogan.com
This is also an Australian founded e-commerce site and it is the only pure play e-commerce site which sells electronic items online in the country. The site was launched in the year 2006 and has been a success in the online market since then. Being a new brand it has managed to give good competition to the other older brands and has made its position in the top ten list of e-commerce sites in the country.
The site started off by selling television sets online and later expanded to other categories of consumer electronics. In the year 2016 the company became more powerful after acquiring the Australian electronics retailer Dick Smith. The site now sells products in multiple categories like electronics, home and garden, office supplies, baby and kids, furniture and many more. Monthly visitors of this site are 10.33 million.
The site is really attractive and the content is available on the homepage in a neat manner. On the left side of the page all the categories are listed for consumers. The hot deals section will give you some of the products at best prices.
Coles
Coles along with Woolworths forms a duopoly in the online market. It is an Australian based grocery chain which has been operating since 1914. Currently there are around 800 stores of this company across the nation. Coles launched its online store in the early 2000s and have been selling their consumer goods on this e-commerce platform.
In 2003 it emerged as the largest supermarket in the online sector. All things needed in the home is available on this site. Fresh groceries, bakery and dairy products, liquor, glassware, utensils and many more such items are easily available on the site. The site also offers school items. Recipes are also available for the consumers on this site.
The user interface is a clean one. You can also locate the nearby stores and know the timings of the stores from the site before you go out and visit one. The site provides latest information on COVID 19 pandemic to keep the consumers updated. The product availability is also provided on the site. They have also extended their service hours for the convenience of the consumers during this pandemic. The customer support of the site is also excellent. The monthly visitors to the site is 10.12 million.
Chemist Warehouse
Number of monthly visitors on this site are 8.74 million. From the name it is clear that this site brings to you all the products which are available at a chemist shop. The site started in the year 1973 and it provides products at a better price. A franchise model looks over the operations of the site.
It offers medicines, vitamins, health items, cosmetics, paramedical products and pharmaceutical items at a much lower rate that the other chemist stores. The brand now serves in multiple locations across the nation. The user interface looks decent and the items are well organized for consumer’s convenience.
Future Of e-Commerce in Australia
Indeed, the future of eCommerce in Australia seems to be very bright – there are consumers to buy the commodities the market has to supply, the people are financially capable to afford them as the living standards are quite high, the entire country is connected through one mode of transport or the another – granted, Australia is a place of rugged terrain and thus often land transport is not viable but the country has an intricate network of airways and a potent alternative form of transport in the form of seaways, hence delivery of goods to the customer is hardly an issue. Hence, there certainly is space and scope for the growth of eCommerce platforms in the country.
Conclusion
These sites are the leading ones in the e-commerce sector and are responsible for generating maximum of the total revenue. The best part is that most sites in the list are founded in Australia, showing that the nation has a great e-commerce sector.