43% Of Australians Shop On Mobile Phones

Buyer beware - ‘one-click ordering’

Research commissioned by ING DIRECT has shown that people are increasingly shopping on the go, with 43% of Australians shopping on their mobile phone in the past 12 months. This coincides with more than 50% of people saying they use cash...

May 25, 2015

Research commissioned by ING DIRECT has shown that people are increasingly
shopping
on the go, with 43% of Australians shopping on their mobile phone in the past 12 months. This coincides with more than 50% of people saying they use cash less than they did 12 months ago, and expect to use it even less in the coming 12 months.

The top five categories for mobile phone shopping in Australia are:

Clothes (22%)
Electronics (20%)
Music (18%)
Groceries (17%)
Games (16%)
John Arnott, Executive Director, Customers,
ING DIRECT
, said: "Online shopping has grown in popularity over the past few years, offering ease and convenience for busy Australians, and it is increasingly moving to the palm of our hand through our mobiles.  As the use of cash declines further and mobile payment
apps
become increasingly familiar, we can expect to see even more mobile shopping." 

Key insights

43% of Australians shop on their mobile phone
Women are most likely to get their fashion fix on their phone with 26% buying clothes
Electronics tops the list for men with more than 25% buying electronics on their mobile.
18-24 year olds are leading the way in shopping on the go, with games (46%) top of their list, followed closely by clothes (43%) and music (36%).
25-34 year olds are leading the way in mobile shopping for groceries (32%), holidays (25%), home delivered meals (17%) and furniture (17%).
More than 22% of over 55s have also used their mobile for shopping in the past 12 months, with almost one in 10 buying groceries, clothes, electronics and holidays.
50% of people use cash less than they did 12 months ago, and expect to use cash even less in future.
Buyer beware - one-click ordering


One-click ordering is a lure for mobile shoppers, with 46% saying they would be more inclined to shop with an online store if they save their payment details to make future purchases even quicker and easier.  But while it may save time, it may also end up costing you more.

Mr Arnott commented: "Online shopping, and indeed mobile phone shopping, is great for ease and convenience, but consumers need to be careful they are not compromising value with the lure of one-click ordering.  It's important to ensure you're getting good value and also a great experience."

Top tips for online value

Compare service and costs across a number of online retailers - use different browser tabs so you can do a quick and easy comparison
Don't forgot to consider shipping / delivery costs and times - this can have an impact on the final price and your experience so factor it into any comparisons
Consider signing up with a variety of your favourite online retailers and you'll often be notified by email or SMS when they have special offers or sales
Keep an eye on 'deal sites' which often offer large discounts across various online retailers