By Anna Patty Workplace Editor
Most Australians still prefer shopping in stores instead of online, according to a new survey.
The national survey of 1254 people aged 18 to 64 by Galaxy Research shows that 94 per cent identified more as "in-store" rather than "online" shoppers.
Xero's pop-up retail space in Federation Square, Melbourne. Its first tenant is fashion accessories and homewares retailer Squeak.Credit: Paul Jeffers
The main reasons included wanting to try clothes, shoes and accessories on for size and being able to check their quality before purchase. Access to sales staff who can help them get the colours and sizes they want is also among their reasons.
Victorians/Tasmanians (74 per cent) and South Australians (73 per cent) are more likely than West Australians (65 per cent), Queenslanders (64 per cent) and those in NSW/ACT (63 per cent) to still identify more as an in-store shopper because it is the only way they can confirm the quality of an item.
One in four of the shoppers surveyed are also worried about using their credit card online. The atmosphere found inside a shop was also important.
Close to half the people surveyed around the country in October said they researched products online before buying them in a shop.
More than 90 per cent said they think they are more likely to find better deals in a store.
Men were more likely than women to still identify more as an 'in-store' shopper. A similar proportion said they preferred to do their shopping in stores. The time left for online purchases to be sent through the mail was among reasons.
Most people said they prefer doing their Christmas shopping in stores because they do not know what to buy and are looking for inspiration.
They also want to check the quality of products to avoid the embarrassment of giving a gift that falls apart or does not work.
Attending a shop also allowed them to buy a number of gifts in one place and saved time, according to half the people surveyed.
"Other reasons people prefer to do their Christmas shopping in store are because they often leave some or all of their gift buying until the last minute so there is not really enough time for delivery, especially if some things need to be exchanged or returned (31 per cent) and because they have gift wrapping services in most shopping centres so you can save a lot of time and effort (20 per cent)," the study found.
The study was commissioned by accounting software company Xero, which is offering small businesses use of a pop-up retail space in Federation Square in Melbourne in the lead-up to Christmas.
Trent Innes, managing director of Xero Australia, said there was no doubt "online players have forever changed the retail landscape" but shopping in-store had retained its appeal for most Australians according to the survey.
"In fact, 70 per cent say they shop the same or more in-store now than they did three years ago," Mr Innes said.