Research shows that nearly half of Kiwis now shop online. While it’s fair to assume that COVID-related lockdowns have inflated that statistic (and it has, to a degree) there was actually a fast-growing acceptance of eCommerce digital marketing in New Zealand well before the pandemic hit.

For example, let’s go back a couple of years to 2018, when mandatory mask wearing and compulsory kindness were still some way down the track.  In that year, New Zealanders spent $4.2 billion online, up from the $3.6 billion recorded a year earlier. This increase of 16% stands in stark contrast to the 2% increase in “bricks and mortar” retail. In 2018, online accounted for nearly 9% of all retail spending in New Zealand with  1.8 million Kiwis shopping on the web; each consumer made, on average, 22 transactions throughout the year.

So, what are Kiwis buying? 9% now buy travel products such as tickets or accommodation online in an average four-week period, which makes it the most common internet purchase. This is followed by:

  • Women’s clothing (7.9%)
  • Tickets to shows, movies or events (6.1%) 
  • Fast food/delivered meals (6.1%)
  • Books (5%) and eBooks (4.1%)
  • Music downloads (4.7%)
  • Men’s clothing (4.0%)

Let’s not forget the eCommerce isn’t all about retail. Many of our service providers, such as restaurants, plumbers, electricians, and even medical centres, are now connecting with more of their customers through the internet.  

Anyone pointing to COVID-19 as the sole catalyst for eCommerce growth in New Zealand is mistaken. It was already on the rise. But it is fair to say that the pandemic has taken things up a gear or two. A just-released report showed that pure e-commerce sales in New Zealand increased by 189% year on year as of 15 April, 2020. More general online retail rose by 156%  year on year as of April 19 and that is the highest the statistic has been in 2020 so far.

In a global context, eCommerce during the pandemic is in a healthy state...and that can be taken quite literally. In the United States, there have been some interesting online sales increases that are plainly connected to COVID-19. Here are a few examples:

  • A 670% increase in the sales of disposable gloves
  • A 652% increase in bread machines   
  • Nearly 400% increase in the sales of soups, dried grains, rice and packaged foods
  • 307% increase in weight training equipment
  • And finally - a 260% increase in soap and hand sanitiser

In New Zealand, and worldwide, statistics reflect a spike in online activity during COVID-19, but also a steadily upward trajectory even before that. As any eCommerce agency will tell you, the pandemic has been good for online business but the figures were on the rise before we went into lockdown.

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    Chris Sinclair ★★★★★ Great team to work with, we've experienced growth from day 1 and we're still going! Thank you team Sprocket DigitalAlastair Pope ★★★★★ Harry and the Sprocket team have been amazing in connecting with and successfully converting a new audience for our business. During these challenging economic conditions, the additional revenue they've generated has proven to be invaluable. Their professional, transparent, and data-driven approach has rekindled my confidence in the agency model.Lance Metz ★★★★★ Sprocket has been an incredible digital marketing partner, helping us grow our monthly turnover. They are extremely helpful and are quick to respond to any needs we may have. I would highly recommend for any company looking to take on a digital transformation journey.Ketaki Rasmussen ★★★★★ Sprocket has experts who can take your digital marketing to the next level, and you get personalised service with a dedicated account manager to help you achieve growth. Great to deal with.Beautiful You Holidays ★★★★★ Covid lockdowns meant complete operational shut down for our small NZ owned business. However, in the last few months we have finally got back up and running again with the help from Josh and his Sprocket team.Their understanding, resources and communication has been unwavering in this process and we have seen measurable results month on month. Trust plays a big role in digital marketing and I believe their formula is full proof.Sprocket has had a big role to play in getting our small business back on it's feet. I couldn't recommend this company enough!Richie Stott ★★★★★ It has been a seamless transition to Sprocket and they have delivered on the goods. Very happy with the service and results. Our account manager, Kieran is great to deal with.Andrina Shieffelbein ★★★★★ Sprocket has been amazing for my small buisness! Can't recommend enough if you want results from your advertising!NZ-Online-Pharmacy ★★★★★ The results speak for themselves. Our website has been lifted to the next level, in both hits & resulting translations into physical orders. Thanks Kieran & Team!Matt Boylan ★★★★★ This is the second time I have used Sprocket Digital in my role as Marketing Manager for small to medium sized businesses. Given our marketing team is very small and we don't have a specific digital marketing resource internally, it gives me peace of mind knowing that all our digital needs are being outsourced to Sprocket. On both occasions of working with Sprocket, the team have very quickly got up to speed on our business. The setup is seamless and my regular meetings with the team help to identify opportunities for us to leverage. The entire team are really knowledgeable and down to earth even though they have some very experienced people working on our account. I would highly recommend Sprocket to any other business who wants expert advice and guidance on their digital marketing with an accessible and down to earth approach.Speednation ★★★★★ Outstanding, the team at Sprocket have been tremendous, and taken our store to the next level. Ronnie and the team are on to it and get things done quickly to a high standard. If you are looking for a marketing team, this is your one stop shop for all your marketing needs!Team at Speednation.co.nzSheree Palmer ★★★★★ Great Team to work with, communication is great and they are actively engaged with working with you.Dylan Carter ★★★★★ Sprocket Digital is the real deal! They have turned our company around in our initial month of working with them and I could not recommend them more.The team is super helpful always making the time to have meetings with us and answer our endless amounts of questions.We are looking forwarded to working with them for the long term!cam scott ★★★★★ So far all of my requests from Sprocket Digital have been handled very professionally and timely. I am really enjoying the level of communication and how easily approachable the team is.Maggie from Astound Smile ★★★★★ We have worked with a couple of other agencies that did not deliver and I'm impressed with the level of service, support & results we get from Sprocket. Within a few weeks of working with Sprocket, we can see immediate improvement on our sales. Harry and the team has taken the time to understand our business and continue to work on delivering results. We look forward to continue working with Sprocket to grow our business. If you are looking for a result-focused agency, you can't go wrong with Sprocket!Josef Arnet ★★★★★ Sprocket Digital has been great to work with and has provided great inside and addition to the digital side of our business (Kitchen Things) their SEO team is fantastic and Harrison their Email marketing specialist is an absolute savant when it comes to knowing how set up email campaigns, templates as well as automatic email flows and the logic required to make them impactful and effective for a business. They always continue to impress with the work they do.Meelee Joe ★★★★★ Great working with the team at Sprocket Digital! We found the company friendly, accomodating, and they helped us to develop our knowledge of the business analyticsNudi Point ★★★★★ FINALLY... a digital marketing company that actually gets the results. This is the 5th business I have dealt with in the last 7 years - and the only business that has proven results. Our sales have increased hugely and it's only been 1 month. Harry is amazing to work with and the whole team at Sprocket Digital know exactly what they're doing. The results speak for themselves. Highly recommend!Gabi Metz ★★★★★ Working with Sprocket has been so easy! Like a weight has been lifted off our shoulders. And the results so far have been fantastic!Megan Blincoe ★★★★★ We are a new Client of Sprocket and I cannot fault them! Especially Ethan, he has been so available and clearly knows what he's talking about. He has been very patient with us and has thoroughly updated and explained every part of the set up and progress to date. Highly recommend using Sprocket Digitaljs_loader

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