Who buys what and when: the latest report on online shopping reveals franchisors need to have a clear marketing strategy to reach consumers.

According to the latest report from Nielsen, Australian Connected Consumers Report, Australian shoppers are seeking more information about the products and services they buy online, and are increasingly price savvy.

Weekly purchases online are made by about 25 percent of Australians, with some significant shifts in retailing habits.

What's the big sell online?

For the first time the hot favourite for digital shopping, a travel-related purchase, has been superseded by consumers snapping up clothing, shoes and accessories online.

Food and grocery purchases (but not fast food) have experienced growth, as have entertainment purchases.

Most online shopping still takes place during the day, but there is an optimum selling time in the evening between 6pm and 10pm, and a slight surge in early morning purchases as people start work.

However the Australian consumer shops at different times according to age; the important mature consumer (60+) is far more likely to indulge in online retail between 9am and 12pm.

Marketing tactics for online consumers

Retailers need to understand the differing demographics accessing their products and sites to ensure they can engage the customer with the most relevant message at the appropriate time, suggests Nielsen.

The mobile device continues to strengthen its grip on digital purchasing. The report shows a clear rise in mobile use at the expense of desktop computers. Mobile devices are used for easy research while in-store as a step in the decision making process and more than 50 percent of digital shoppers are researching and comparing prices in-store before purchasing.

This points to the importance of developing online sales processes and marketing campaigns that suit mobile devices (read more about omni-channel marketing on page 40).

Contactless payment using PayWave or PayPass has become the new norm for two-thirds of online Australians when paying with a debit or credit card in shops. However, half of the online shoppers are resistant to the idea of a mobile wallet – tapping the mobile phone for payments –  because of security issues.