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Source: ONE News -
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If shopping malls seem a little quieter than usual in the lead up to Christmas it might be because of a new trend towards online gift-buying.
Last year a record number of Kiwis chose to avoid the crowds by buying their gifts on the net and this year retailers are responding to that.
Despite stacking their shelves with Christmas goodies, New Zealand's biggest retailer predicts that many of its customers will not come through its doors this year.
"We think we need to be there (on the internet), not only now but in the long term. It's just the way of the future," says Stuart Yorston, Warehouse marketing director.
A record number of Kiwis - 1.4 million or 45% of all adults - made one or more online purchases during last year's Christmas rush.
The reasons behind shunning the mall are many.
"I just don't like crowds. It's really a nightmare, just too many people," says one online shopper.
Marketing expert Mike Lee says the internet equals more convenient buying and savvier browsing.
" If you don't like shopping anyway, it's probably hell on earth," he says.
"Even if you don't buy online, I think there is a massive move towards doing your information search online - looking up a lot of consumer reviews."
Online shoppers can compare prices on sites like Priceme http://www.priceme.co.nz/ and Price Spy http://pricespy.co.nz/
So what sorts of gifts are people buying online?
Books are expected to be the most popular, accounting for close to half of last year's Christmas buys, followed by clothing and toys. Beauty products and gift vouchers also make the top 5 things people prefer to buy without going into stores.
But as convenient as it is New Zealand's internet watchdog warns there is potential for disappointment with delivery and timing.
"Shop early if you're shopping with smaller entities and give them an opportunity to deal with the Christmas rush. It's useful to give them a phone call and check that they can deliver on things you've purchased online or intend to purchase online," says Martin cocker, executive director of Netsafe.
