Australian Ecommerce Statistics 2026
A complete analysis of Australia's online shopping landscape in 2026. Discover market size, consumer trends, popular categories, and how the industry has evolved since 2012.
Then vs Now: 14 Years of Growth
We first published ecommerce statistics in 2012 when the Australian market was worth just $33 billion. Fast forward to 2026, and online shopping has transformed beyond recognition. This updated report shows how far we've come.
$83B
Forecast Market Value 2026
↑ 151% from 2012
97.1%
Population Online
vs 94% in 2012
64%
Mobile Commerce Traffic
70% by 2026
6h 8m
Daily Online Time
55% mobile-first
Australian Ecommerce Market Size
How the market has grown from 2012 to 2026
Market Growth 2010-2026
| Year | Market Value | YoY Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | $27.0 billion | - |
| 2011 | $30.2 billion | +11.9% |
| 2012 | $33.0 billion | +9.3% |
| 2013 | $37.1 billion | +12.4% |
| 2014 | $40.8 billion | +10.0% |
| 2015 | $45.3 billion | +11.0% |
| 2016 | $50.3 billion | +11.0% |
| 2017 | $55.3 billion | +10.0% |
| 2018 | $60.3 billion | +9.1% |
| 2019 | $65.3 billion | +8.3% |
| 2020 | $70.3 billion | +7.7% |
| 2021 | $75.3 billion | +7.1% |
| 2022 | $80.3 billion | +6.6% |
| 2023 | $85.3 billion | +6.2% |
| 2024 | $69.0 billion | +6.0% |
| 2025 | $76.0 billion | +10.1% |
| 2026 (Forecast) | $83.0 billion | +9.2% |
Growth Summary
From 2012 to 2026, Australia's ecommerce market has grown by 151%, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.6%. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021 accelerated growth significantly as consumers shifted to online shopping.
Internet Access & Daily Usage
How Australians access the internet in 2026
Then
94% had internet access
79% went online daily
Males: 82 hours/month online
Females: 73 hours/month
2,996 pages viewed/month
Primarily desktop browsing
Now
97.1% have internet access
95% online multiple times daily
6h 8min daily average
Across all devices
55% mobile-first browsing
Desktop usage declining
Most Popular Online Shopping Categories
What Australians are buying online
| Category | 2012 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel / Accommodation | 74% | 80% (#1) | ↑ +6% |
| Streaming Services | - | 70% | NEW ~$15B |
| Fashion / Apparel | 34% | 60% | ↑ +26% |
| Electronics | 31% | 50% | ↑ +19% |
| Food / Groceries | 13% | 40% | ↑↑ +27% |
| CD / Music / DVD | 45% | 10% | ↓↓ -35% |
Notable Trends
- Groceries: COVID-19 accelerated online grocery adoption from 13% to 40%
- Streaming: New category that didn't exist - now worth $4.19 billion annually
- Physical Media: CD/DVD market collapsed as streaming took over
- Fashion: Now primarily purchased via mobile apps and social commerce
Payment Method Revolution
How Australians pay for online purchases
Traditional Methods
- Credit Card + PayPal53%
- Credit Card Only25%
- PayPal Only12%
- Other Methods9%
Modern Options
- Cards (Credit/Debit)40%
- Digital Wallets30%
- Buy Now Pay Later15%
- PayPal10%
- Cryptocurrency5%
The Buy Now Pay Later Boom
The biggest payment innovation since 2012 is Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services like Afterpay, Zip, and Klarna. These didn't exist in 2012 but now account for 15% of all online transactions in Australia.
8M
Australians Using BNPL
$18.34B
Annual BNPL Volume
70%
Of Online Retailers Offer BNPL
The Mobile Commerce Takeover
How smartphones changed shopping behavior
Mobile Commerce Share of Total Traffic
~5%
2012 (Estimated)
64%
2025 → 70% by 2026
60%
Shop via Mobile App
30%
Use Mobile Browser
10%
Desktop/Laptop Only
Why This Matters
In 2012, mobile shopping was almost non-existent - most smartphones couldn't even handle checkout forms properly. Today, the majority of Australians start their shopping journey on mobile, even if they complete purchases on desktop. Retailers without mobile-optimised sites lose 30% of potential sales.
Top Online Retailers: Then vs Now
How the retail landscape has changed
Top 10 Retailers
- 1BigW
- 2BookTopia
- 3BrandsExclusive
- 4Cudo
- 6Deals Direct
- 7Dick Smith
- 8Get Wines Direct
- 9Good Guys
- 10Harvey Norman
Current Leaders
- 1Amazon Australia2017
- 2eBay Australia
- 3Kmart
- 4Bunnings
- 5Woolworths
- 6Coles
- 7JB Hi-Fi
- 8The Good Guys
- 10Harvey Norman
What Happened to the 2012 Leaders?
Dick Smith
Collapsed in 2016 due to debt and competition
Catch
Rebranded from "Catch of the Day", acquired by Wesfarmers, but closed operations in 2024
Amazon Australia
Didn't exist in 2012, launched in 2017, now dominates the market
Traditional Retailers
BigW, Harvey Norman, Good Guys all had to massively invest in ecommerce to survive
Who's Shopping Online?
Age and gender demographics
Online Shopping by Age Group
| Age Group | 2012 | 2026 | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 (Gen Z) | 61% | 90% | +29% | 17% spend |
| 25-34 (Millennials) (Highest spend) | 69% | 95% | +26% | 36% spend |
| 35-44 (Gen X) | 73% | 92% | +19% | 28% spend |
| 45-54 (Gen X) | 65% | 85% | +20% |
| 55-64 (Boomers) | 52% | 75% | +23% (fastest) |
| 65+ (Boomers) | 40% | 60% | +20% | 15% spend |
Key Demographic Shifts
The biggest change: online shopping is now universal across all age groups. Millennials (36% of spend) and Gen X (28%) are the biggest spenders, while Baby Boomers showed the fastest growth (+23%) from 52% to 75%. Gen Z (17% of spend) favors social commerce and BNPL. Seniors (65+) jumped from 40% to 60% adoption - COVID-19 permanently changed their behavior.
Local vs Overseas Shopping
Where Australians spend their money
Shopping Origin
Current Split
What Changed?
- Amazon Australia launched (2017) - made local shopping more competitive with overseas retailers
- GST on imports under $1,000 (2018) - reduced the price advantage of overseas shopping
- Improved local shipping - faster delivery from Australian retailers
- Supply chain issues - 2020-2022 made overseas shipping slower and more expensive
Key Insights: 2012 vs 2026
The biggest changes in 14 years
What Declined
Physical Media
CDs, DVDs collapsed as streaming took over
Desktop Shopping
Now minority of traffic
Credit Card Dominance
BNPL and digital wallets gained share
What Exploded
Mobile Commerce
From ~5% to 70% of all transactions
Online Groceries
COVID accelerated adoption by years
- ðŸâ??º
Subscription Services
New category worth billions
What This Means for You
How these trends affect Australian consumers and businesses
For Shoppers
- More choice than ever before
- Better prices through competition
- Convenient mobile shopping
- Need to be savvy about data privacy
For Retailers
- Mobile-first is mandatory
- Fast delivery is expected
- Must offer BNPL options
- Social commerce can't be ignored
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Research Sources:
- • Australia Post eCommerce Report 2025 (market size, growth trends)
- • DataReportal - Digital 2026: Australia (social media, internet penetration, usage stats)
- • Mordor Intelligence - BNPL Market Report (payment methods, BNPL statistics)
- • Similarweb - Australia Traffic Data (mobile vs desktop split)
- • Semrush - Top Australian Retail Sites (retailer rankings)
- • Fox & Lee - 2026 Trends & Demographics
- • Landmark Global - Cross-border Shopping Insights
- • Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) - Household Use of Information Technology
- • National Australia Bank (NAB) - Online Retail Sales Index
- • 2012 data from original Competitions.com.au infographic research
Last updated: February 2026. Includes projections and forecasts for 2026 based on 2024-2025 data trends.
Social Media Landscape: Then vs Now
How Australians use social platforms
Platform Users (Australian Estimates)
2012 Social Networks
2026 Social Platforms
Key Changes
The social media landscape has completely transformed. Instagram and TikTok now dominate visual content, while Facebook remains relevant but primarily for older demographics. Social commerce (shopping directly on platforms) has become a major ecommerce channel that didn't exist in 2012.