eMarketer estimates that total B2C ecommerce sales in Australia (including travel) were $10.5 billion in 2011. This was enough to make Australia the fourth-largest ecommerce market in Asia-Pacific. A big reason for that position was high online buyer penetration, estimated by eMarketer at 68.5% of total internet users.

eMarketer’s estimate is supported by local government statistics. The December 2011 Australia Bureau of Statistics biennial report, “Household Use of Information Technology,” found that 68% of internet users surveyed bought something online between July 2010 and June 2011.

The most popular items purchased online included travel and tickets, followed by CDs, books and other media.

eMarketer forecasts that increasing demand and internet penetration will result in B2C ecommerce sales in Australia of nearly $20 billion in 2015, even as offline consumption slows.