Southlanders buying into online shopping

The volume of online shopping by Southlanders has soared in the first quarter of the year and the demographic most responsible for the increase is those aged over 60.

According to the NZ Post eCommerce Spotlight report, online shopping in the region has increased by 32 per cent, compared to the equivalent period last year, ranking Southland fourth in the country, up from 16th.

The increase in online spending is one of the biggest throughout New Zealand and one of the key trends was the rise of older online shoppers.

NZ Post regional service delivery manager Murray Rei said: ‘‘We’re currently delivering anything from 5000 to 7500 parcels per day for people in the Southland region, and as online shopping increases, we’re expecting parcel delivery to increase alongside.’’

Spending on food, clothing and homewares resulted in the highest growth, of 42 per cent, 38 per cent and 36 per cent respectively.

There was also a 26 per cent increase in transactions and a four per cent increase in basket size.

A typical online customer in Southland shopped nine times per year and spent more than $900 annually on average across all categories, Rei said.

The Covid-19 lockdown last year resulted in an immediate spike in online shopping, led by health and beauty products, homeware, appliances and electronics, clothing and footwear, and department, he said.

‘‘Online shopping has become the normal way to shop for many Kiwis, and they are buying online more often and across more sectors.’’

NZ Post business marketing general manager Chris Wong said shoppers over the age of 60 grew by more than 15 per cent and their spending was up more than 25 per cent.

‘‘In the 80-year plus category, shoppers grew by 40 per cent, so it’s great to see the love affair with online shoppers is represented by all ages.’’

Overall, results from the first three months of the year show New Zealanders spent $1.4 billion on online shopping, up 27 per cent from the same time last year, and up nearly 50 per cent on the same period in 2019.

However, the rise in online shopping has also increased security concerns.

Consumer Protection national manager Mark Hollingsworth said the Covid-19 pandemic created a significant shift in how people shop, work and do business online.

‘‘So much can be done at the touch of a button nowadays, and it’s encouraging that Kiwis are exercising an air of caution while online. The good news is a few simple precautions put in place by both consumers and businesses can make the world of difference.’’