Australian households spent $62.3 billion buying physical goods online last year, according to data published by Australia Post today.

The Inside Australian Shopping Report says online purchases have almost doubled pre-pandemic levels recording a 12.3 per cent increase compared to the previous period. Four in five Australian households shopped online last year across a broad range of retailers and categories.

Metro areas recorded a 12.9-per-cent increase year-on-year while regional areas recorded a 10.6 per cent boost. Top categories for shoppers include athleisure, baby products, pet products and footwear.

Australia Post Group CEO and MD Paul Graham said e-commerce was a ‘lifeline’ for people and businesses alike.

“Even as restrictions eased, Australia’s love of online shopping has not faltered, evidenced by the 5.4 million households we saw buying online each month last year, representing a 39 per cent increase from 2019.”

He added that today’s online shoppers are looking for choice and convenience, reliability in supply and delivery and sustainability is having an enormous impact on which brands shoppers choose to buy from and where they spend their money.

In October last year, Australia Post announced an additional $400 million for new facilities, fleet and technology to meet the increasing demand from businesses trading online.

Auspost named Melbourne’s Point Cook suburb as the nation’s biggest shopping hotspot, followed by Liverpool in Sydney and Hoppers Crossing in Victoria.