Online shopping: Buying fashion online

Jo-Anne Hicks, eBay Head of Fashion, Australia & New Zealand, is fortunate to be in a role where she spends her days working on what she loves and knows best - fashion, shopping and online.

Since joining eBay in 2009, Jo-Anne has transformed the popular auction site into a one-stop-shop for all things fashion and has been the driving force behind the online style portal, Fashion Gallery at eBay. Her influence on the way that we shop means that when she talks fashion, we listen.

With over seven million unique visitors every month (that’s 70 per cent of all online shoppers!), eBay is Australia’s most popular shopping destination.

What comes as no surprise is that fashion is the largest and most popular category on eBay, with a fashion item being sold every eight seconds and a dress every minute.

eBay has been around for longer than most of us have had internet access and by evolving to meet customer’s changing shopping habits, it has stood the test of time. Contrary to popular belief, 85 per cent of all shoes, clothing and accessories now sold on eBay are brand new and over 60 per cent of fashion sales are sold at a fixed price or through the buy it now option. This shows how eBay has transformed from the world’s largest op-shop into a fashion experience just like you’d get down at the mall.

Being the top choice for Aussie shoppers it gives us an interesting insight into how people shop. Like in most areas of life, there are quite distinct differences in how the genders operate - and shopping is no exception.

Women love a bargain, spend more time searching, are attracted to brand names and visuals, and are more likely to impulse buy (sounds about right). On the other hand, men are happy to spend more money, prefer a quicker shopping experience and stick to what they came for.

So what are the sexes buying the most of? Dresses top the list for women, followed by nail care, jewellery and handbags. Men (who generally aren’t big buyers of dresses and handbags) buy watches, t-shirts and underwear most often.

Looking at sales across the numerous categories on eBay, mobile phone cases are the most purchased items for both men and women, while fashion pops back into number the number two for women.

The top ten most popular items for men almost entirely consists of technology-related items such as DVDs, video games and mobile phone accessories - although gardening seeds also make an appearance.

For women, fashion makes up approximately half of the top ten most sold items, with books, video games and DVDs also making the list.

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