Australians went on a major spending spree in December.
Although retail sales dropped 4.2 percent from November, reports the Australian Bureau of Statistics, retail sales soared 9.4 per cent by contrast to December 2019.
E-commerce was also firing on all cylinders, says eStore Logistics. According to the e-commerce fulfilment company, online health and beauty sales increased by 30 per cent in December and books, CDs and DVDs enjoyed an upsurge of 33 per cent.
Home improvement and renovation were the standout categories with sales up 96 per cent in December.
All of the leading states experienced increases in online shopping. Shoppers in Victoria made 33 per cent more online purchases in December compared with 2019, adds eStore Logistics. NSW consumers made 28 per cent more online purchases, followed by Queenslanders v(+25%) and South Australians (+23%).
Australia Post reported its biggest month ever – a 20 per cent increase on its 2019 December deliveries to 52 million parcels.
There is no denying that online shopping grew strongly in 2020, and this reached a new level in December as millions of people chose to buy their Christmas gifts online, said Rodney Boys, acting CEO of Australia Post.
According to Australia Post, food and liquor, fashion and home and garden product deliveries were up 50 per cent, 37 per cent and 36 per cent, respectively.