The Australian Interactive Media Industry Association, AIMIA is charged with delivering services and initiatives for their membership, including online retailing in Australia, developing and growing markets for AIMIA’s members both here and abroad and representing their members with government, education, media and business communities.

To explore the domestic online retail marketplace, The Australian Centre for Retail Studies will soon release their comprehensive quantitative and qualitative online retail study entitled Australian Retail Industry – Adoption Plans for Online Advertising and E-tailing, which will be launched by IE Managing Director Rhys Hayes. This significant online retail study will provide exceptional insight into the state of online retail channel marketing in Australia, and is supported by AIMIA.

The report, co-sponsored by IE and Catalogue Central is the most in-depth and expertly researched source of online retail channel marketing data seen in Australia for some time.

The outline of the qualitative online retail study includes:

-       A survey of 128 retailers to better understand the current state of online retailing and marketing in Australia

-       That the majority of respondents have some form of online presence

-       That respondents reported operating across a variety of channels, with stores, online and catalogue being the most common

-       That the majority of respondents do not currently use online and interactive media for online retail

-       That overseas competition was a concern

-       That the vast majority see online retail as an opportunity.

The outline of the quantitative online retail study includes:

-       That many respondents cited a general lack of expertise and knowledge within Australia, so the USA and UK markets are being referred to as sources of best practice examples.

-       That the majority of respondents operate in a multichannel space, and offer a combination of stores, websites and catalogues, both print and online.

-       That transacting online is seen as somewhat product category specific, with categories such as books, travel and flowers more suited to online retail than others.

The report Australian Retail Industry – Adoption Plans for Online Advertising and E-tailing will be launched in Melbourne on September 22nd, and in Sydney on September 24th.