- 8.1 million households shopped online in the last quarter, up 2.7% year-on-year (YoY)1
- Average basket size stayed flat at $952
- 50% of shoppers are set on spending during Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales
- Speedy delivery expectations, with half of Gen Zs and Millennials wanting parcels within 3 days
Australians have set a new online shopping record, spending a considerable $20.7 billion online for the July-September quarter, fuelled by more frequent purchases and major sales events, according to Australia Post's latest Quarterly eCommerce Report.
The July-September quarter (Q1 FY26) saw online spending growing 15% YoY - a 6.2% increase quarter-on-quarter (QoQ), making a strong start to the new financial year. The average basket size remained flat at $95 as 8.1 million households shopped online (2.7% increase YoY) - signalling an online spending boom which is expected to intensify across the Black Friday and Christmas periods.
Online Marketplaces remained the top-performing category, generating $4.6 billion (up 10% YoY), followed by Food and Liquor with $4.2 billion (up 14% YoY), and $2.7 billion spent on Fashion (up 13% YoY). Books, Stationery and Multimedia, Consumer Electronics and Hobbies and Recreational Goods categories saw the biggest growth of any online category (up 43%, 21% and 19% YoY respectively), reflecting a growing appetite for at-home entertainment and lifestyle products.
Value-driven shopping continues to motivate customers with three in four shoppers saying they are holding out for major sales events. Half of all shoppers have their sights set on Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, setting the stage for a strong second quarter.
Across the country, New South Wales residents shopped the most online followed by Victoria and Queensland. Nationally, the postcodes that topped the list for online shopping were:
- Hoppers Crossing, VIC
- Toowoomba, QLD
- Mackay, QLD
- Point Cook, VIC
- Bundaberg, QLD
Australia Post General Manager Enterprise and Government, Chelsea O'Reilly, said Australia Post is preparing for its biggest delivery period yet.
"We're preparing for what's shaping up to be our biggest Peak delivery season on record. Australia Post has significantly bolstered operations, hiring thousands of additional team members, investing in our delivery network and infrastructure, and rolling out a new fleet of electric delivery vehicles to get parcels to customers faster than ever.
"With more Australians shopping online and expecting faster deliveries, we now have over 1000 banks of Parcel Lockers across the country, giving customers even more convenient and flexible options for collecting their parcels. The Australia Post app is also the best way for customers to track their parcels in real time, receive in-app notifications and manage deliveries, staying updated every step of the way," Ms O'Reilly said.
Australia Post has also announced last sending dates ahead of Christmas:
- Parcel Post: Friday 19 December (most destinations within Australia)
- Express Post: Tuesday 23 December
- Letters and cards: Tuesday 16 December for interstate deliveries
People sending to or from Western Australia, Northen Territory, Tasmania, or regional and remote locations, should allow a few extra days.
To learn more about these trends and access data and insights about shoppers, visit Australia Post's Quarterly Online Shopping Report: http://auspost.com.au/einsight.
