Retail / news
Australian retailers bracing for online marketplace squeeze
A Deloitte survey finds 61% of Australian retailers expect online marketplaces to intensify competition in the next year, up sharply from 28% last year.
The findings come from Deloitte's 2026 Retail Report, which drew on responses from 150 Australian retail executives and 1,000 consumers. Overall, 79% of retailers said they are concerned about the competitive pressure from online marketplaces.
Consumer behavior appears to be driving that concern. The survey showed 48% of shoppers often or always consider ultra-low-cost online marketplaces when making purchases online, while another 28% do so at least some of the time. This pattern holds across income brackets, with 67% of consumers earning AU$200,000 or more saying they frequently or always factor these platforms into their online shopping decisions.
The sharp increase in competitive expectations — up from 28% a year earlier — reflects how quickly these platforms have gained ground.
“These marketplaces are changing what shoppers expect from everyone, because price, range and convenience can now be compared in seconds,” said Damien Cork, Partner at Deloitte Consumer Products & Retail.