7.1 million households: marketplaces attracted more shoppers than any other category
Number of households shopping Online Marketplaces each year
While the number of households shopping from Online Marketplaces in 2024 was down 3.7% YoY, it still held the most number of households shopping in any category.
It was ahead by a significant number, holding more than 1.5 million households than the second-highest category (Fashion - Men's, Children's & Accessories).
72%of households shopping online shopped with Online Marketplaces in 2024.
Gen Zs and Millennials head to Amazon, while Gen Xs, Baby Boomers and Builders prefer eBay
eBay, meanwhile, attracts 62% of Gen Xs, 60% of Baby Boomers and 54% of Builders, versus 39% of Gen Zs and 50% of Millennials.2
Temu is similarly popular across the generations, with an average of one-third of Australian shoppers heading to the marketplace giant.2 Temu launched in Australia in April 2023, so local shoppers are still relatively new to the retailer.
Which generations shopped on Amazon in 2024?2
- 68% Gen Z
- 66% Millennials
- 49% Gen X
- 40% Baby Boomers
- 34% Builders
The top 3 things Australian shoppers value about Online Marketplaces2
57%Low prices
55%Variety of products and brands
49%Free shipping
The category's top postcodes
Top locations by
volume
| Postcode | Name | State |
|---|---|---|
| 4670 | BUNDABERG | QLD |
| 4655 | HERVEY BAY | QLD |
| 4740 | MACKAY | QLD |
Top locations by
volume per capita
| Postcode | Name | State |
|---|---|---|
| 4184 | MACLEAY ISLAND | QLD |
| 3335 | ROCKBANK | VIC |
| 4659 | BURRUM HEADS | QLD |
Top growth suburbs
by volume
| Postcode | Name | State |
|---|---|---|
| 4680 | GLADSTONE | QLD |
| 4816 | BALGAL BEACH | QLD |
| 6225 | COLLIE | WA |
Fashion and Home & Garden are the most popular categories to shop on marketplaces
What the generations are purchasing via Online Marketplaces2
- Gen Z
- Millennials
- Gen X
- Baby Boomers
- Builders
The order of the coloured bars in the chart above corresponds with the order of the legend.
68% of Australian eCommerce businesses have an Online Marketplace presence
For 39% of businesses, an Online Marketplace presence is part of a strategy to reach international shoppers.5
Fulfilment strategies vary: 57% say their goods are stored in Australia and shipped internationally upon ordering.5
46% of businesses utilise international storage and fulfilment solutions.5
Gen Zs and Millennials intend to shop more from marketplaces in the next 5 years2
- Gen Z
- Millennials
- Gen X
- Baby Boomers
- Builders
Marketplaces can be incredible channels to drive volume in your business – and unique sources of intelligence on the market, on the customer and on your peers.
Learn from other sellers' journeys. There are great seller communities that teach others what the path to greatness looks like, and each of the established marketplaces have content to show what the platform itself believes is best practice.”
Spending in Online Marketplaces grew 22% YoY - the strongest category in 2024
At a 10-year view, the growth is enormous: back in 2015, Australians spent $1.3 billion in this category. While the story for many categories was one of large growth through the pandemic, followed by a slowing down or reduction over the following years23, and returning to growth in 2024, Online Marketplaces have seen growth each year.
This makes Online Marketplaces the strongest growth story of the decade.
Customer spend in Online Marketplaces over the last 10 years23
Millennials and Gen Xs are the category's largest market
Millennials account for 37% of Online Marketplace spend while Gen X account for 27%. However, the cohorts that are accelerating their spending in Online Marketplaces are Baby Boomers and Builders, spending 33% and 40% more than they did last year respectively.8
How each generation stacked up in 20248
- Gen Z
- Millennials
- Gen X
- Baby Boomers
- Builders
The order of the coloured bars in the chart above corresponds with the order of the legend.
Your next step:
Give Millennial and Gen X customers the delivery experience they expect
78%Want to choose at checkout how to receive their parcels.2
45% of Millennials and 29% of Gen Xs would switch retailers to access an out-of-home collection point, such as a Parcel Locker.1
The simplest way for your customers to select Parcel Locker delivery is by installing the Australia Post Collections widget or Shopify app into your checkout. This creates a seamless experience to easily find a Parcel Locker at a convenient location and pick up parcels at any time, 24/7.
72% of Millennials and 62% of Gen Xs believe picking up a parcel should be as convenient as grabbing a coffee.2
- Millennials
- Gen X
Up 37% YoY, Online Marketplaces was the winning category on Black Friday
3.4% YoY basket size increase: the second-highest growth across all categories
The average basket size in Online Marketplaces is 29% smaller than it was in 2015, the second most dramatic reduction across the categories (after Liquor).23
Online Marketplaces still retains the second spot for the smallest basket size at just $57, much smaller than the overall average of $95.8
Online basket sizes for Online Marketplaces across the years23
2024 basket size by generation8
- Gen Z
- Millennials
- Gen X
- Baby Boomers
- Builders
The order of the coloured bars in the chart above corresponds with the order of the legend.
Next trends in Online Marketplaces: Recommerce and A2C
Recommerce
“We think that marketplaces are going to increasingly enable resale among retailers and consumers," says Jordan Berke, Founder & CEO of TOMORROW. "Sellers that resell returned inventory will build trust with customers, by showing that resale is just as good as first sale, if not better, because of the savings and the planetary effect of buying new.”
A2C (Agent to consumer)
Jordan says, “AI agents are going to play a much bigger role in marketplaces. The agent will be embedded in the marketplace: consumers will engage with it like a concierge within the platform, helping them figure out where to buy things and what to buy.”
