The rise of online shopping for home renovations
7th Aug '18 • By Kaylyn Jeffrey
Australia is experiencing exploding growth of e-commerce as a result of 85% of Australians connected to the internet with a whopping 12.1 million Aussies on social media platforms.
Aussies are currently spending about $1.95 billion per month on online purchases, making Australians forerunners on the global stage of online purchasing with homeware purchases leading the race. There is no doubt that e-commerce is going to continue to grow exponentially year on year.
21st century time poor
With work, social life, education, self-development, wellness, and other areas of our lives constantly demanding attention, we’ve become increasingly time poor. We go for convenience most of the time. Why call a taxi company when you can order an uber? Why go to the grocery store when you can have food delivered straight to your door?
Have a question? The answer is always conveniently in the palm of your hands.
The efficiency of technology
Shopping online is efficient and convenient. Whether you’re on a quick 10 minute break at work, or having coffee in Bali, you can easily make purchases online from the comfort of anywhere. Stores require travel to their location, checking to make sure the shop is open and hoping the items you want are in stock. Online shopping eliminates all the minor inconveniences that come with traditional shopping.
Better prices
Products that are bought online cut out the middle man. They can be shipped straight to your door directly from the manufacturer or seller. Additionally, you are also given discounts for shopping online either on the site or by joining their email list.
“Renovator Store allows prospective renovators the ability to shop high end designer renovation fixtures for half the price of traditional retailers, simply because we don’t have the overheads of traditional retailers.” -Jayden Hall, Marketing Manager, Renovatorstore.com.au
Wider range of products
You have a worldwide marketplace at your fingertips when you shop online. Consumers don’t have to settle for whatever is at their local store when they can have something from LA shipped to them in Australia. Online shopping offers more variety for a much better cost.
Shipping benefits
A lot of the time, consumers are saving money by shopping online as well as being given shipping benefits like “free shipping when you spend x.” Having items shipped to you is a great way to avoid crowds, cut fuel cuts to get to a store or shopping complex and make your own choices without being upsold by in-store associates. Instead of carrying heaps of purchases to your car after struggling to find a park in a crowded shopping complex, you can have items delivered straight to you for little to no shipping cost. Carrying items is a thing of the past. This is also wonderful for the everyday Aussie family who understands the struggle of lugging your children to the shops. Shopping with children is a lot more effort than purchasing a product while breakfast is being cooked and the kiddies are just waking up. The same goes for couples with puppies that aren’t allowed in stores. Who cares what a commercial complex allows when you can order online with your doggo content on your lap? Then when your beloved goods arrive, it feels like Christmas morning. Bonus!
Established product reviews
When you’re shopping online, you have the convenience of reading other reviews of the product by other consumers. Instead of trusting an in-store associate trained to sell you on something, you can clearly see online ‘word of mouth’ that credits or discredits the product you’re considering. This allows consumers to make more educated purchasing decisions. You can easily compare products for price and quality.
It’s easy to return things
Don’t like something? Return to shipper. No line, no negotiating with a store manager, and no time loss.
The future of home renovation
Home renovations of the future will be conducted online from the products you buy to the business you use. Online shopping for homewares leads the race because consumers want to love their homes and have their homes be completely unique to them. Online shopping means collecting homewares that create your most ideally styled home with businesses that you know are credible to conduct the work due to online reviews and a strong online presence. Some businesses now even have apps that let you preview furniture in your own home with augmented reality.
We are living in the time of the rise of e-commerce. Nowadays, if your business, service or product isn’t a few clicks away from consumers, you’re not with the times. In addition, it’s only going to grow. E-commerce is forecasted to continue to boom. Store sales will continue to fall, and e-commerce will continue to dominate and rise because it’s simply better, easier, more efficient, and smarter buying.