Australian shopper behaviour has changed forever, Opinium Research and Adyen reveal

With Australia in recession for the first time in nearly 30 years, Australians are more conscious of how they spend their money and what they receive in return. According to the press release, the Adyen Agility Report details the findings of a survey of more than 25,000 respondents, including more than 2000 Australian adults, and provides a guide to help retail and hospitality businesses secure customer loyalty in an ever-changing market. 

While COVID-19 has been a huge catalyst for change, it’s also solidified our preference for certain activities, including shopping in-store. Of all consumers surveyed, Australians have the strongest desire to shop in-store (72%) compared to 62% of Americans and 50% of Brits. 63% of Australians are also looking forward to shopping in-store for pleasure again, well ahead of the global average of 55%. 

Furthermore, the pandemic caused a mass migration to online channels, particularly as lockdowns swept across the country, and Adyen’s research suggests that consumers have been won over by the channel’s convenience. More than a quarter (27%) of Australians said they shopped more online during the pandemic than they did previously – although less than our global counterparts in the USA (36%) and UK (33%). 

A third (33%) of Australians will also shop online more often now than before. This skews by age, with 46% of 18-34 year olds planning to embrace this habit, compared to 38% of 35-54 year olds, and 17% of those aged 55 and older. The appeal of online shopping is far-reaching, with 28% of those who prefer to shop in-store acknowledging they will also shop online more. 

A key finding from the research is that Australians don’t tolerate bad experiences – 72% won’t return to a retailer if they’ve had a bad experience, either in-store or online. But they do also reward those who help them out, particularly when times are tough. 78% say they will continue to support the retailers they relied on during the pandemic. And given the love for physical stores, it's also significant that most prefer to shop with retailers located nearby because they want them to stay open (67%).

Moreover, the businesses that consistently performed the best throughout the coronavirus pandemic were those that combined their physical and digital worlds to create a fluid, channel-agnostic experience which prioritised the customer. This is 'unified commerce' and Adyen’s data has revealed it to be a critical in driving success throughout the pandemic, helping businesses stabilise sales by offsetting lost in-store transactions with an increase in ecommerce.