As online retail giant Amazon poises to conquer our antipodean neighbour the future of Christmas shopping may go completely digital, a Massey University professor says.
Massey University Professor of Marketing Harald van Heerde said the digital age of shopping was already encroaching on consumer habits by way of cross-shopping.
"I think the big trend is this cross-shopping where consumers use multiple channels, physical stores and online, and they search both and then finally make the purchase either online or offline."
The professor said this situation, where consumers used physical stores as fitting rooms before purchasing items for a cheaper rate online, had already presented itself as a big fear for brick and mortar stores.
"It's almost a bit of a trial room and then people buy from somewhere else. The same thing is happening in Europe and the United States where a lot of people buy their clothing online and use a free return policy to try it.