Aussies spending record $83bn in online spending, defying cost of living fears and global uncertainty

Australian consumers have ignored near-constant global uncertainty while spending online, with 2025 representing a huge spike in online spending by Australians. With fuel running short and concerns growing around the rising cost of living, the assumption would be that Aussies might be conservative with their purchases. But nearly $83 billion was spent while online shopping in 2025, with all signs point to a steady increase for 2026. AusPost EGM Gary Starr said consumers would continue to weather economic and financial storms in order to snag good deals. “I wish we did have a crystal ball, but I believe the fundamentals of online channels are really sound. Yes, we’ll have these speed bumps with global geopolitics, and there will be these two or three week periods where there can be uncertainty, but this tends to just drive people online more, where they continue to look for value,” Mr Starr said. “It’s a day-to-day proposition at the moment, but we still think the online channel will continue to grow. Despite there being a lot of commentary around cost of living, the market seems pretty resilient and Australians continue to spend online at a growing rate relative to in-store,” he said. “We expect that to continue.” Despite a growing willingness to spend money online, the annual AusPost eCommerce Report says Australians are still exhibiting “promiscuity” when making purchases. Aussie households are shopping across an average of 16 brands a year, which is indicative of a higher level of price comparison consciousness. “We’ve seen basket size at the lowest it's been in five years. That’s because people are being really discerning about what they’re buying,” Mr Starr said. “When there’s global uncertainty Australians typically become more cautious, so we still think they’ll shop online, but they’ll wait for the sales periods. Those behaviours will continue.” Online marketplace apps have become a symbol of savvy shopping, and they are now used almost as often as standard retail apps and websites. Mr Starr believes online retailers have to make “take the friction” out of checkout experiences, which are the major barrier between even more significant growth in the area. “You’ve got to keep the messaging simple, you’ve got to reduce the friction out of the checkout because a large percentage of people will drop out if the checkout is too complicated,” he said. “Checkout abandonment is somewhere between 60 and nearly 70 per cent for high spenders, so you’ve just got to make it simple.” Millennials were the biggest online spenders in 2025, with $29.7 billion being spent by Aussies between the ages of 45 and 29. The Australia Post eCommerce report is released annually.