AUSTRALIA Post is giving the Easter Bunny or Bilby (if we want to be patriotically correct) a run for its money.
Forget the fluffy ears and whiskers and think postie on motor scooter delivering chocolate surprises as Aussie more and more turn to online shopping.
According to Australia Post research, chocolate lovers will spend an average of more than $72 buying sweet treats online.
The big spend comes as Australians are online shopping like never before with purchases rising 11.5 per cent in the past year.
Ben Franzi from the postal giant attributed the increase to Australians taste for a sweet deal.
“Australians love a bargain and love online shopping because of price, choice and convenience – those are the factors that are really driving online purchases this Easter.”
The research involved a survey of 2000 Australia Post customers. More than a third said they would buy an item online this Easter, the main reasons being to avoid crowds, convenience and access to better prices.
Haigh’s Chocolates, Australia’s oldest family-owned chocolate maker has experienced steady growth since it opened its online store in October 2014. Haigh’s spokeswoman Fiona Krawczyk said online sales peaked one week before Good Friday, a couple of days before the in store sales spike.
Overall the Australian online retail market was worth $21.6 billion in the 12 months to December 2016 according to the National Australia Bank’s Online Retail Sales Index.