Australia Post data reveals top suburbs shopping online spend an average of $95 per basket but are getting savvier to save cash

Aussies living in areas with notoriously high mortgage stress rates are changing the way they spend their money, and it hasn’t been like this for a decade. See what and how they’re spending.

Cash-strapped Aussies living in some of the nation’s hardest-hit suburbs by mortgage stress are spending their money more wisely as they turn to online shopping to beat rising prices, new data shows.

As retail remains under pressure and households struggle, new data from Australia Post’s annual eCommerce report released Wednesday has revealed top suburbs shopping online are now spending an average of $95 per basket, down 2.1 per cent from last year, making it the lowest in a decade.

Nationally, Toowoomba and Mackay in Queensland, and Point Cook in Victoria, are the top suburbs experiencing an online shopping boom.

A total of 9.8 million Australian households shopped online in 2024, spending a record $69 billion.

Aussies living in some of the nation’s hardest-hit suburbs by mortgage stress are spending their money more wisely as they turn to online shopping to beat rising prices, new data shows. Picture: iStock

Most of these purchases were made at online marketplaces (almost $16 billion), food and liquor ($13.6 billion) and fashion and apparel ($9.6 billion).

State-by-state, the top suburbs for online shopping in NSW were Liverpool, Sydney CBD and Gosford.

In Victoria, Point Cook, Hoppers Crossing and Craigieburn led the way.

In Queensland, the top suburbs were Toowoomba, Mackay and Bundaberg.

In South Australia, households in Adelaide CBD, Mount Gambier and Craigmore spent the most.

Launceston, Devonport and Howrah were the top suburbs in Tasmania, with households in Coconut Grove, Gillen and Stuart Park spending the most in the Northern Territory.

Millennials contributed almost $25 billion to the country’s total online spend, Australia Posts’ report found, followed by Gen Xers ($19 billion), Gen Zers ($12 billion) baby boomers ($10 billion) and builders ($2.7 billion).

The rise of social commerce also saw almost half of Gen Zers and Millennials making an online purchase every week via social media.

Commonwealth Bank Senior Economist Belinda Allen said while many people shopped around for the cheapest price last year, there were very large differences between the age cohorts.

“Younger age groups adopted more savvy spending: they looked at online marketplaces and discount department stores but people over 60 weren’t as exposed to the cost-of-living pressures, so they were generally raising spending across the board,” she said.

There were also differences in location, according to Commonwealth banking transaction data, where there was increased spending in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and regional areas across Australia.

The rise of social commerce also saw almost half of Gen Zers and Millennials making an online purchase every week via social media. Picture: NewsWire / Nicholas Eagar

“Meanwhile, in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, higher household debt, higher home prices and a greater sensitivity around higher interest rates really reined in spending,” Ms Allen said.

The top suburbs in Melbourne mentioned in Australia Post’s report such as Hoppers Crossing and Craigieburn, and Liverpool in Sydney, are also among some of Australia’s most notorious postcodes for mortgage stress, according to a report released in February by Digital Finance Analytics.

Consumers are now shopping around across an average of 16 retailers in a bid to find the best price, Australia Post Executive General Manager Parcel, Post and eCommerce Services Gary Starr said.

“With cost-of-living pressures and high inflation an ongoing concern, Aussies turn to key sales events and loyalty programs to stretch their dollar further,” he said.

Online shopping transactions surged during key sales periods such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Boxing Day, Singles Day, AfterPay Day and end of year sales.

“These events, driven by cost-of-living pressures and the desire to maximise savings, have become significant in driving Australians’ shopping habits,” Mr Starr said.

Social researcher Mark McCrindle said Gen Alpha, who were currently influencing $8.5 trillion in global spending, were the next generation of consumers.

“Paying attention to the values and preferences of Gen Alpha will be vital for retailers looking to connect with consumers,” he said.