An increase in shopping and banking via telephone and the Internet are further examples of the importance being placed on convenience, particularly in households where both adults work full time. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (2003a) found that 23 percent of adults accessing the Internet used it to pay bills, 21 percent to access government services, and a further 15 percent to shop, up from 11 percent in 2001.
Recent Internet sales in 2002 were A$4 billion, double that in 2001 (A$1.9 billion).The recent deregulation of shopping hours and growth of large retail centers may be seen as a response by marketers to meet the growing demands of working women. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (2002) notes that average retail turnover per location increased from A$17,500 in 1947 to A$650,000 in 1992, indicating a growth in the size of retail establishments.
This change has also been brought about because Australians are shopping fewer times and are spending more per shopping trip. This may also be the result of time pressures on two-income working families, and, as will discussed later, because those in full-time employment are working longer hours. The ACNielsen Grocery Report of 2003 found that the average number of shopping trips per year in 2002 was 134 times per year, down from 144 in 2000, while Australian shoppers spent more, on average, in 2002 (A$42.82 per trip compared to A$35.59 in 2000).
