Three out of five Kiwis shop online
Three out of five Kiwis are shopping online at least once a month, according to research by credit card company Mastercard.
The research, which surveyed more than 1000 New Zealanders, found security and quality of goods to be top of mind for those shopping on the internet.
Kiwis were also found to actively consider whether the business they are purchasing from is legitimate, if the goods could be easily returned, and the timeframe of delivery.
Mastercard New Zealand and Pacific Islands country manager Ruth Riviere said Kiwis had become more aware of potential online scams.
“As more New Zealanders enjoy the benefits of online shopping, it is great to see a heightened awareness around cyber security and that Kiwis are actively thinking about the ability of online retailers to protect their data,” Riviere said. “Kiwis — and
consumers all over the world — want to know their data is secure when they are making a transaction.
“As cyber criminals become more sophisticated, retailers and financial providers need to work together to ensure we stay one step ahead.”
Riviere said Mastercard wanted to move towards a token-only storage system of payment details to ensure safer online transactions. “Tokenisation is critical when it comes to helping to secure the digital world,” she said. “Similar to payment that takes place in store, tokenisation and a move towards an industrywide online payment framework, could help retailers move towards a payment process that is simple with a single, common online checkout button.”
Retail NZ general manager of public affairs, Greg Harford, said the growth in online sales had been huge over a number of years.
“Customers appreciate the flexibility and convenience of online shopping, either to have goods delivered to them, to click and collect instore, or even just to research their options before going in store,” Harford said. “Retail NZ’s most recent information shows that about 8 per cent of all retail sales are currently done online, but this is growing rapidly.”