Mandurah tops list as online shopping capital of WA

The 6210 postcode has been named the ninth highest spending when purchasing goods online.

Australia Post has released its annual Inside Australian Online Shopping Report, identifying the areas where we're spending our hard earned cash online. 

For the first time total purchases have topped the $21 billion mark with more Australian's than ever before shopping online.

Mandurah has posted a 17.2 per cent growth on online purchases from 2016 to 2017, Victorian suburb Point Cook was top online buying location, boasting a 22.6 per cent jump in growth. 

Australia Post General Manager for Parcels & Express Services, Ben Franzi, said Australians shopped online to access greater value, choice and convenience, and a clear example of this was the rise of online market places.

“Marketplaces – such as Amazon, eBay and Etsy – are booming, growing 74.8 per cent in the past year alone,” he said. 

“Australians really appreciate the convenience of being able to access goods from a variety of sellers in the one location.

“In the past year we have seen new marketplace entrants, which is always great to see, in recognising the increased customer traffic that this type of format offers.”

Most online shopping categories saw an increase, whereas speciality food and liquor saw an overall drop in growth rate, including a 0.09 per cent slump in Mandurah. 

However, Mandurah still tops the list as the country's largest speciality food and liquor buyers.

Over 45 per cent of those online purchases came from Halls Head, Meadow Springs and Greenfields.   

Fashion continues to be the top selling category, increasing 27.2 per cent in the past year.

Health and beauty products are also popular, growing 13.2 per cent, while homewares and appliances recorded 10.9 per cent growth.

In Western Australia the growth rate is at 9.3 per cent, but Mandurah has come in as third largest spender on beauty products in the country at 9.9 per cent. 

Australia Post has also picked Wellard and Byford to be hot picks for growth in online fashion shopping in the coming years.

According to the report online fashion purchases have a 27.8 per cent growth rate in Wellard and 24.3 per cent in Byford. 

The May/June period posted the strongest growth during 2017, with online purchases increasing 32.2 per cent.

Mr Franzi attributed the increase to retailers offering end of financial year sales for longer, in some cases more than six weeks.

The November/December period remained the busiest time of the year in terms of volumes as people looked to buy Christmas presents online.

Mr Franzi said marketplaces – such as Alibaba’s Tmall Global and JD.com - were also helping Australian retailers access the lucrative international market, the total online spend of which has increased 46.7 per cent to $US1.57 trillion ($A2.08 trillion) in the past two years.

“Marketplaces make it easier for consumers in our key export markets – China, United States, and India – find Australian products and offer a more convenient way for local businesses to start selling overseas.

“By 2019, total online goods purchases from across the globe is set to reach $US2.16 trillion ($A2.86 trillion), so this market represents a huge opportunity for Australian retailers.”