Kiwis tipped to spend $2.7b at online shops

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Almost half the population will spend nearly $1400 each shopping online this year and more than a third of that will be spent offshore, a report says.

The report, published by PricewaterhouseCoopers and research firm Frost & Sullivan, has forecast online retail sales will increase to $2.68 billion this year, accounting for 5.1 per cent of retail sales here.

That puts New Zealand on par with Australia, but still well behind the United States and Britain where online shopping accounts for 7.4 per cent and 9 per cent of retail sales respectively.

Online shopping here is expected to grow 12 per cent a year to $4.22 billion by 2015.

PwC's global retail and consumer advisory leader Stuart Harker said lower prices, convenience, better product ranges and a growth in mobile devices had led to consumers spending more online.

"Mobile shopping has been one of the key drivers of online retail sales in the last 12 months and will continue to drive sales in the next year," he said.

More than a third of the 200 consumers surveyed were using a smartphone or a tablet to buy online; a similar number followed an online shopping site on Facebook.

Group buying sites are also becoming increasingly popular in New Zealand with more than 40 per cent of online shoppers having used such a site in the past 12 months.

Retailers Association chief executive John Albertson said online shopping was an area retailers in New Zealand were taking seriously.