20 June 2019 for immediate release
New NZ Post report shows Kiwi businesses reaping the benefits from online shopping
A new report on eCommerce in New Zealand shows that online shopping grew eight times faster than shopping in-store in
2018 (16% v 2%) and showed encouraging trends for New Zealand online retailers.
The Full Download 2019 report was undertaken by NZ Post because courier delivery has now surpassed mail as the largest contributor to NZ Post
revenue.
The report shows 1.8 million New Zealanders chose to shop online last year spending a total of $4.2billion. The large
growth in online shopping has mainly come from Kiwis shopping more often, with online shoppers now hitting that ‘buy’
button 22 times each per year. We’re also seeing an emergence of ‘super shoppers’ – with nearly one in ten Kiwi online
shoppers spending over $9,000 online.
“The report shows good news for Kiwi businesses. Spending with New Zealand online stores grew at nearly double the rate
of growth for international online stores – encouraging news for our local e-tailers,” says NZ Post Chief Marketing
Officer, Bryan Dobson.
“Although New Zealanders still enjoy shopping internationally with nearly one dollar in every three being spent with an
offshore online retailer, New Zealanders also say that they prefer to buy from local retailers because they trust them
and would like to support home-grown businesses.”
Another trend that has emerged is the rise in popularity of Buy Now Pay Later Payment methods, such as Afterpay, with
12% of shoppers using these payment methods in 2018. Most Buy Now Pay Later users are aged under 45, and over half of
users are women under 45. The most prominent online shoppers in New Zealand are women aged between 30 and 45 who live in
rural areas.
“NZ Post is delivering well over half of all parcels bought online in New Zealand and we’re proud to be integral to that
moment of joy when your online shopping parcel arrives.
“Customer needs are changing quickly: they want speed, efficiency and convenience. They want to know where their parcel
is at all times during its journey and want delivery at a time and place that works for them – NZ Post is able to offer
this.
“Most online retailers in New Zealand use NZ Post to connect with their customers. With the leading delivery service we
provide, and with the wealth of insights in this report, we are committed to helping online retailers to grow a better
online business” says Dobson.
ENDS
Please see below for actual figures for inclusion in articles.
For statistics, commentary and case studies view and download The Full Download 2019 report here.
Key insights
• 16% growth in online spend compared to 2% offline
• 8.9% of retail spend in 2018 was online
• 1.8M Kiwis bought online in 2018, spending a total of $4.2billion
• Online shoppers made 22 transactions on average each per year – a 10% increase from 2017
• 44% of shoppers buy more than once a month
• $100 average spend per online transaction
• 9% of online shoppers online spending over $9,000 online per annum.
• 19% increase in domestic online spend VS 10% international spend growth
• 2 out of 3 dollars being spent with an offshore online retailer
• 12% of online shoppers used Buy Now Pay Later in 2018
• 80% of BNPL users are under 45
• 61% of BNPL users are women under 45
• 45% increase in domestic online spend in the clothing and footwear sector
About The Full Download 2019
This is our second in-depth analysis into the state of eCommerce in New Zealand. The Full Download 2019 looks at the changes in online shopping and consumer behaviour over the past year. We explain where the growth is, where
the opportunities lie for the savvy business and how New Zealand Post’s eCommerce know-how can help you take advantage
of these exciting opportunities.
For statistics, commentary and case studies view and download The Full Download 2019 report here.
Once again, we’ve partnered with leading analytics provider Datamine to bring you this insightful review of eCommerce in
New Zealand. We have also conducted an Online Shopper Survey where we asked customers to tell us what they were looking
for from their online shopping experiences.