New data from national carrier Australia Post shows online shopping in the country surged to a record $82.6 billion in 2025.
The latest Australia Post report reveals 9.8 million Australian households shopped online last year, with individual basket sizes shrinking to $96, down $10 from five years ago.
Australia Post executive general manager parcel, post and eCommerce services Gary Starr says despite smaller baskets, overall spend continues to climb which is largely driven by an increase in purchase frequency.
“On average, Australians purchased from 16 different online brands last year, a figure that has been growing for the past decade. As they shop more online, it’s how they shop that’s continuing to evolve,” he says.
“Australians are shopping smarter, they’re comparing more brands, buying more frequently and expecting a seamless experience from checkout through to delivery.”
Australians spent the most on online marketplaces ($18.9 billion), fashion and apparel ($11.6 billion) and home and garden ($11.4 billion) but it was department stores that experienced some of the highest growth last year, up 19.5 per cent year on year.
Across the generations, millennials contributed $29.7 billion to total online spend, followed by Gen X ($22.7 billion), Gen Z ($14.6 billion), Baby Boomers ($12.2 billion) and builders ($3.4 billion). Across the country, online shoppers in New South Wales spent the most online ($26.4 billion), followed by Victoria ($20 billion), Queensland ($17.8 billion), Western Australia ($9.1 billion), South Australia ($5.4 billion), ACT ($1.7 billion), Tasmania ($1.6 billion) and Northern Territory ($0.5 billion).
Top postcodes by parcel volume were Toowoomba and Mackay in Queensland and Point Cook in Victoria.