Ecommerce growth · Playbook
Ecommerce marketing in Australia: the 2026 starter plan
By Limon Ghosh, Sydney · Updated 24 October 2026 · 8 min read
Short answer: Start with tracking, then the channels where Australians already shop: Google Shopping and search for people looking for your product, Meta for discovery, and email for repeat buyers. Australians spent $82.6 billion online in 2025, but baskets are smaller and shoppers are less loyal, so plan around margin, delivery and repeat purchases, not one big launch. The 90-day plan below sets the order.
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What changed for Australian online stores
Australian online spend
A$ billions, calendar years
Source: Australia Post eCommerce Report 2026. Marketplaces are pure online marketplaces, 23% of 2025 online spend.
View as table
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $72.5b |
| 2025 | $82.6b |
| Marketplaces, 2025 | $18.9b |
| Finding (2025) | Figure | What it means for your marketing |
|---|---|---|
| Households shopping online | 9.8 million, 82% of homes | The audience is there. Winning it is about being found and trusted |
| Share of retail spend online | 24% (CommBank iQ, cited by Australia Post) | Online is a main channel, not a side project |
| Average basket | $96, $10 less than in 2020 | Smaller orders. Your cost per sale has to be lower, or repeat sales higher |
| Brands bought from per household | 16 a year on average | Loyalty is low. Email and remarketing matter |
| Shoppers using social media to discover products | 60%, and 1 in 2 has bought after seeing a product on social | Paid and organic social are discovery channels |
| Good delivery makes shoppers more likely to buy online | 73% | Delivery options and costs belong in your ads and product pages |
| Want a range of delivery options at checkout | 69% | Offer more than one delivery choice |
Sources: Australia Post eCommerce Report 2026 and Australia Post: ecommerce trends, read 24 October 2026.
The short version: Australians buy online more often but spend less each time, from more brands. Profit comes from a low cost per sale and repeat buyers.
Step 0: work out your numbers
Before spending on ads, know three numbers for your store:
- Gross margin after product cost, delivery and payment fees
- Break-even return on ad spend: 1 divided by that margin
- Average order value from your own store, not the national average
For example, at a 40% margin your break-even return is 2.5x, so every $100 in ads has to bring in at least $250 in sales. See what is a good ROAS or use our wasted ad spend checker.
The 90-day plan
- Days 1 to 14: fix trackingSet up GA4 and the purchase event, link Google Ads, and check the Meta pixel with a test order. Our free tracking checklist covers 35 checks.
- Days 1 to 14: start capturing emailAdd a sign-up offer and a welcome email. Every email list needs consent (see below).
- Days 15 to 30: Google Shopping and brand searchGet your Merchant Center feed approved, turn on free listings, then run one Shopping campaign on your best sellers. See Google Shopping ads in Australia.
- Days 31 to 60: Meta for discoveryTest 3 to 5 short videos or images on Facebook and Instagram, with a small daily budget. Judge them on cost per sale. See what Meta ads cost in Australia.
- Days 31 to 60: email flowsAdd abandoned cart, post-purchase and win-back emails. These bring back the shoppers who buy from 16 brands a year.
- Days 61 to 90: cut and scaleKeep the products, ads and audiences above break-even. Cut the rest. Raise budgets in steps, not all at once.
Where to spend first
| Channel | Best for | Start when |
|---|---|---|
| Google Shopping and search | People already looking for what you sell | Your feed is approved and purchases are tracked |
| Meta (Facebook and Instagram) | Discovery, new audiences, remarketing | You have 3 or more creatives and tracking works |
| TikTok | Discovery for visual, lower-priced products | Meta is working and you can make short videos often. See TikTok ads cost |
| Repeat buyers and abandoned carts | From day 1 | |
| Marketplaces such as Amazon | Extra reach. Marketplaces took $18.9b of 2025 online spend | Your margins can carry the marketplace fees |
Do not start every channel at once. Two channels done properly beat five done badly.
Email rules in Australia
Marketing emails and SMS are covered by the Spam Act 2003. The ACMA sums up the rules:
| Rule | What you must do |
|---|---|
| Consent | Get permission before you send, and keep evidence of it |
| Identify | Name your business and include accurate contact details |
| Unsubscribe | Include a working unsubscribe, act on it within 5 working days, free of charge, with no login required |
Source: ACMA: avoid sending spam.
Never buy email lists. You cannot show consent for them, and they hurt your sender reputation.
Plan around Australian sale dates
Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, Boxing Day and end of financial year (EOFY) are the big moments. Book creative and budget 4 to 6 weeks ahead, and check Australia Post delivery cut-offs before you promise Christmas delivery. Our Australian sale calendar has the dates and a week-by-week plan.
What to measure each week
| Metric | Where to find it | Healthy sign |
|---|---|---|
| Return on ad spend by channel | Ad platforms, checked against GA4 | Above your break-even |
| Cost per sale | Spend divided by tracked orders | Falling or steady while spend rises |
| Repeat purchase rate | Your store platform | Rising each month |
| Email list growth | Your email platform | New sign-ups every week |
| Conversion rate | GA4 | Steady or rising after site changes |
Numbers that disagree between platforms are normal. See why GA4, Google Ads and Meta show different numbers. A simple dashboard keeps it in one place.
We run this plan for online stores in Australia and the USA. See ecommerce marketing.
Sources
- Australia Post eCommerce Report 2026
- Australia Post: ecommerce trends (19 March 2026)
- ACMA: avoid sending spam
- ACMA: email and SMS unsubscribe rules (fact sheet)
Questions answered
How much do Australians spend online?
Australia Post reports Australians spent $82.6 billion online in 2025, up 14% on 2024, with 9.8 million households shopping online.
What is the best marketing channel for a new Australian online store?
For most stores, Google Shopping and search come first because those shoppers are already looking. Add Meta for discovery and email for repeat buyers once tracking works.
How much should I spend on ads at the start?
Spend only what you can afford to lose while learning, and judge results against your break-even return on ad spend, which is 1 divided by your gross margin.
Do I need consent to send marketing emails in Australia?
Yes. Under the Spam Act, ACMA says you need consent, must identify your business, and must include an unsubscribe that is actioned within 5 working days.
Why are my online orders getting smaller?
It is a national trend. Australia Post reports an average basket of $96, $10 less than in 2020, as shoppers buy more often but spend less each time.
How long does it take for ecommerce marketing to work?
Plan on 90 days: two weeks for tracking and email, a month to get Google Shopping running, then Meta tests and scaling what is above break-even.
Limon Ghosh runs MindfulClicks from Sydney and manages paid ads, tracking and Claude AI automation for online stores and B2B companies in Australia and the USA.
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