Australia is one of the richest countries in the world. In fact, it’s the tenth largest eCommerce market by revenue, according to research by Management Consultancy firm, A.T Kearney.
As such, breaking into Australian eCommerce is an exciting global expansion opportunity for online sellers who are looking to grow their business and reach new audiences.
But, before exploring a totally new country and eCommerce market on the other side of the world, it’s imperative that you have a well-thought-out plan in place.
So, what exactly do you need to know about selling in Australia? And what are the best Australian marketplaces to be aware of?
In this article, we have summarized all of this information, as well as some helpful top tips and key considerations to help you enter the Australian market successfully.
What are the top Australian marketplaces to sell on?
Of course, the best marketplace in Australia for you will depend on what it is you’re selling and who your target audience is.
Therefore, it’s worth exploring some of the more niche sites as well, before deciding on which marketplace to use.
To save you time, however, we have complied a list of the top eight Australian eCommerce sites that are worth considering selling on.
#1: MyDeal
A firm favorite among Australian shoppers, MyDeal is a fast-growing online marketplace with more than 1,000 online sellers and half a million buyers.
MyDeal is mainly geared towards selling bulkier items such as sofas, dining tables and mattresses, although it does also sell other products such as fitness equipment and pet products.
Benefits of selling on MyDeal include the fact that it handles all your listings as well as the presentation of your products with a MyDeal storefront.
What’s more, the marketplace also offers small business loans to sellers who need some financial support e.g. with expansion costs or the need to access rapid funding to secure an opportunity.
Keep in mind, however, that you will still be responsible for handling the order fulfillment process and all necessary logistics.
#2: Amazon.au
Launched in 2017, Amazon.au stocks more than 100 million products across 29 individual product categories, which makes it a lucrative opportunity for most online sellers.
Despite the familiar name, Amazon doesn’t have the same brand recognition in Australia compared to the rest of the world.
This is down to the fact it’s still a relatively new channel in Australia, resulting in a lack of product selection and comparatively high prices as sellers ere on the side of caution.
However, with the launch of Amazon Australia Prime and FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) potentially solving the logistical challenge of shipping, sellers can now offer speedy delivery times.
What’s more, FBA can save you valuable time and hassle, as Amazon Australia handles all the shipping details for you and doesn’t put a minimum number on the products you send.
Another plus of Amazon.au, is that you can be sure all good multi-channel inventory management software with have a full integration, meaning you can streamline your business processes and access data from one centralized location.
#3: eBay.au
eBay.au has risen to become a retail powerhouse leading the eCommerce space in Australia.
In fact, receives more than 11 million visitors each month and has over 40,000 businesses trading on it.
This could benefit international sellers, as Australian shoppers are already well accustomed to buying overseas in comparison to other countries.
In addition to being the most popular Australian marketplace, eBay.au offers customers the ability to buy across borders quickly and easily, as domestic choice in Australia is typically rather limited.
What’s more, thanks to an 18-year history behind it, this marketplace gives you the chance to leverage eBay’s long-standing reputation.
Selling everything from electronics to fashion to food and drink, eBay Australia gives you the opportunity to access a wide range of markets with an already established loyal customer base.
Unlike Amazon.au, eBay Australia offers both fixed and listing-based pricing, which means that products can be sold by auction as well as ‘buy it now’.
#4: Trade Me
Trade Me offers a robust system for online store management and a good set of tools to support its sellers.
Dominating the market in New Zealand, Trade Me is also open to Australian shoppers and trades a range of general products such as fashion and beauty, electronics, cars, collectibles and antiques.
With an estimated 85% of New Zealanders holding a Trade Me account, this could be a marketplace to watch for Australia too.
Typically, international sellers benefit from either a Global Development Manager or an Account Manager (no extra cost), to help with listing set-up and provide general support and advice.
However, keep in mind that there is an in-depth application and approval process to be aware of in order to sell on the Trade Me platform.
#5: Kogan
Kogan offers a one-stop shop for Australian buyers with a multitude of departments, including home and garden, tech, fashion and fitness.
You can either become a supplier for the website or sell manufactured products, but you will have to choose upon registration.
If you do decide to offer your goods as a third-party trader, this could provide you with a good opportunity for having online presence while giving you the time and freedom to focus on building your brand.
As much as merchants can benefit from gaining exposure to millions of potential new customers, it should be noted that Kogan is only really suited to established businesses and not so geared towards the smaller, independent sellers.
#6: GraysOnline
GraysOnline is the largest industrial and commercial online auction business in Australasia, with a database of approximately 2.5 million customers.
This makes it an ideal marketplace for selling off excess stock or large business assets, featuring categories that range from engineering to home and garden appliances, fashion and more.
Sellers using the platform also benefit from a team of experts who can advise on how to maximize their sales, including valuation services, project management, marketing and more.
On top of this, GraysOnline customers tend to already have fairly good industry knowledge of products due to the specialized nature of this Australian marketplace.
#7: Fishpond
Fishpond offers merchants the option to list products themselves or open a more traditional trade account with the platform.
The ‘Sell Yours’ option means you can list your products by barcode or add inventory in bulk and set your own pricing.
However, you must also manage all shipping to the buyer and a commission of 10% (from selling price plus shipping cost) will be taken per sale.
This may be a good place to start if international shipping is new to you, or you’re looking to test the waters in Australian eCommerce. After all, there are a number of product categories to choose from, including books, fashion, toys, health and beauty.
Alternatively, opening a ‘Trade Account’ with Fishpond means all product listings are taken care of by the platform. All you need to do is submit all the product data and pricing information.
What’s more, you ship in bulk to Fishpond’s fulfillment centers and commission on your sales doesn’t apply.
#8: Catch.com.au
Last on our list is Catch.au, an Australian marketplace known for offering great daily deals to its shoppers.
Having launched in 2017, Catch.au has significantly grown in the last few years and now hosts big-name brands such as Speedo and The North Face.
Sellers are required to apply to sell on the platform and are vetted to ensure they meet the ‘Catch Values’.
Once approved, merchants can benefit from a large pool of potential customers. In fact, Catch is the third most popular Australian marketplace in terms of website traffic.
Despite being relatively small compared to the likes of eBay.au, Catch could make for an interesting proposition for businesses that thrive on the excitement of clearance deals and impulse purchases.
Why sell in Australia?
Despite being the 12th largest economy in the world, eCommerce in Australia still remains a relatively new market. Much of this is due to such a vast geography and spread out population, which makes delivery and logistics problematic.
However, with the rise of major online marketplaces and more fulfillment centers popping up around the country, selling online in Australia is becoming increasingly easier.
In fact, with Australians fast adopting international shipping traditions, such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and third-party online payment services gaining popularity, such as PayPal and Amazon Payments, now is the time to enter this growing market.
Top tips for selling into the Australian eCommerce market.
Before entering any new market, it’s important to familiarize yourself with some of the country’s key considerations, expectations and selling best practices.
Not only does this make for a smooth fulfillment process, but it also helps to boost initial sales by providing a buying experience that meets the expectations of Australian customers.
Below, we’ve outlined four tips for success when attempting to make it in the Australian eCommerce space.
Offer speedy delivery.
Shipping is one of the biggest hurdles to get over in Australia, quite simply down to its vast size and limited population.
But that’s no excuse for slow delivery times.
It’s imperative to provide a speedy and reliable delivery service that matches, or better still, beats that of your competitors, in order to win over your Australian customers.
However, with such a large distance to travel, achieving this is often easier said than done.
Consider outsourcing your international delivery to fulfillment centers, or use an Australian shipping aggregator, such as Australia Post, to access the cheapest local rates.
Localize your content.
You may not need to translate your content for Australian shoppers, but you will still need to localize it.
What’s more, there are many variations of English, and the British English language is very different to the Australian English.
Localisation is very different to simply translating; it’s about adapting your source text to fit with a new culture altogether.
For example, Australians use the metric system for their units of data and have many different slang words to us, such as “thongs” instead of “flip flops” (UK).
By localizing your content for the Australian market, you bridge the gap between cultures, in turn helping to improve the overall engagement of your new audience.
Do your research.
When shipping internationally, make sure you do your research and have a good understanding of the Australian governments rules and regulations, in order to avoid any delays in transit.
First, check that your goods are not restricted in Australia. Prohibited items include fruit cartons, live trees, plants or bulbs and soap or washing preparations.
In addition to this, you will need to complete a and attach five copies to the outside of your parcel, which will be checked by customs in Australia.
And don’t forget, your parcel will be travelling across the world, so make sure you’re using packaging that is going to withstand the journey and keep your items safe and secure.
Sort out the logistics.
Shipping all the way to Australia means a number of added logistics to juggle.
With the ability to automate international shipping processes, it allows you to eliminate manual data entry errors and import orders from a range of Australian marketplaces automatically.
That’s not all though.
Shipping management software can help you to keep track of all orders, from start to finish, and access all shipment information from one, centralised location.
As well as this, you can benefit from automatic shipping updates and bulk printing of relevant labels and documents that meet Australian requirements for import/export.
Need some help with your global shipments? Here are ten tips for shipping internationally.
Ready to start selling in Australia?
With such strong links to the UK (from the British expats, to backpackers, students and holidaymakers), there’s no doubt that Australia is a great country to consider selling in.
So, there you have it.
We hope that this guide has given you some helpful insight into the most popular Australian marketplaces and best practices for selling down under.
Considering expanding into European markets? Take a look at our guides for selling in France, Germany and Spain.