Author Credits: Yashee Sharma
Nine Network Australia Pty. Ltd.

Australians spent a record $69 billion on online shopping in 2024 as consumers leant towards sales and digital marketplaces.

Online marketplaces saw the bulk of the purchases at almost $16 billion, followed by food and liquor at $13.6 billion and fashion and apparel at $9.6 billion, according to the Australia Post’s 2025 Annual eCommerce Report.

Millennials led the demographics with the highest spend of almost $25 billion. Gen X spent $19 billion, Gen Z spent $12 billion and Baby Boomers spent $10 billion.

The total spend reached an all-time high and was up 12 per cent from the year before.
Australia Post found regional residents drove the jump in spending after recording a 2.9 per cent increase year on year.
Toowoomba and Mackay in Queensland and Point Cook in Victoria were the top locations that bought the most items online. 

“Meanwhile, in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, higher household debt, higher home prices and a greater sensitivity around higher interest rates really reined in spending,” Commonwealth Bank senior economist Belinda Allen said.

While Australia saw a record growth in sales, basket sizes (the value of a single transaction) were the lowest in a decade. 
Cost of living pressures saw the average basket size drop to $95, down 2.1 per cent from last year.

Shoppers took particular advantage of sales, with last year’s Black Friday event seeing a record $2.2 billion spent online.
“With cost-of-living pressures and high inflation an ongoing concern, Aussies turn to key sales events and loyalty programs to stretch their dollar further,” Australia Post’s Gary Starr said.

“We know that three-quarters of businesses are concerned that frequent sales events are training shoppers to only buy goods that are on sale.

“But we have to embrace that Aussies love a sale and strategic shopping has now become the norm.”