# Regional Australia Online Shopping: Growth and How to Serve It

URL: https://ecomchannels.com/insights/regional-australia-online-shopping-growth/
Category: E-commerce trends
Updated: 2026-10-30

> Regional and remote households spent $20.6 billion online in 2025, and outer regional areas grew fastest. What regional shoppers need and how to deliver.

Regional Australia is a large and growing online market. In 2025, 2.7 million households in inner regional, outer regional and remote areas spent $20.6 billion online. Outer regional and remote areas grew 14.4%, faster than the capital cities. Regional Queensland postcodes such as Toowoomba and Mackay are among the busiest online shopping locations in the country. Selling well to these customers mainly depends on reliable delivery and clear delivery promises.

## How big is regional online shopping?

The [Australia Post eCommerce Report 2026](https://auspost.com.au/content/dam/auspost_corp/media/documents/ecommerce-reports/annual-ecommerce-reports/ecommerce-report-2026.pdf) splits 2025 online spending by remoteness:

| Area | Households shopping online | Online spend | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital cities | 7.1 million | $61.9 billion | 13.8% |
| Inner regional | 1.8 million | $13.8 billion | 13.6% |
| Outer regional and remote | 0.9 million | $6.8 billion | 14.4% |

Together, inner and outer regional areas account for roughly a quarter of the online spend Australia Post attributes to a location. Australia Post sums it up: capital city households dominate spend, while outer regional and remote areas deliver the highest growth.

Growth continued into 2026. The [FY27 Q1 update](https://auspost.com.au/content/dam/auspost/documents/ecommerce/quarterly-updates/oct-2026-quarterly-ecommerce-update.pdf) shows inner regional households spending $4.1 billion in July to September 2026 (up 16.6%) and outer regional and remote households $2.1 billion (up 15.3%).

## This is a long-running trend

Regional growth is not new. Australia Post's [2025 report](https://auspost.com.au/content/dam/auspost_corp/media/documents/ecommerce-reports/annual-ecommerce-reports/ecommerce-report-2025.pdf) said regional areas drove online shopping growth in 2024 and that regional growth had continued for a decade, as online shopping gives access to goods from anywhere in the country. That report advised retailers to work with delivery partners that cover locations right around Australia.

Postcode data shows how much activity sits outside the capitals. By parcel volume in 2025, the top three locations were Toowoomba (4350), Mackay (4740) and Point Cook (3030). Toowoomba and Mackay held the top two spots again in the September 2026 quarter. Fast-growing locations include Pinjarra in WA and Macleay Island in Queensland. During the 2025 peak, the same three postcodes led the country by volume, according to Australia Post's [January 2026 update](https://auspost.com.au/content/dam/auspost_corp/media/documents/ecommerce-reports/quarterly-ecommerce-reports/january-2026-quarterly-ecommerce-update.pdf).

By state, Western Australia grew fastest in 2025, with online spend up 18% to $9.1 billion, and again led growth in the September 2026 quarter at 19.5%.

## Why regional shoppers buy online

For many regional households, online shopping provides range that is not available locally. Internet use is also becoming more central to daily life. [auDA's Digital Lives of Australians 2025](https://www.auda.org.au/news-insights/research-reports/digital-lives-of-australians/digital-lives-of-australians-2025/) found the biggest increase in internet dependence was in regional Australia: the share of regional workers who say they can't do their job without the internet rose from 49% in 2021 to 60% in 2025.

Regional shoppers are not identical to city shoppers. [Nielsen's 2025 consumer data](https://www.nielsen.com/news-center/2025/latest-nielsen-consumer-data-shows-everythings-too-expensive/) describes regional Australians as more traditional and more loyal to established brands and local retailers than metro shoppers. Trust and reliability therefore matter, and a recognisable carrier and an accurate delivery estimate help build both.

## What regional customers need from sellers

Selling to regional and remote customers raises some specific operational issues:

1. **Honest delivery estimates.** Regional transit times are longer and vary more. Showing an accurate range by postcode at checkout is better than a vague promise that is then missed.
2. **The right carrier for the destination.** Carrier coverage and cost differ by region and parcel size. Australia Post's network reaches nearly everywhere; couriers and freight carriers can be cheaper or faster for some lanes and for bulky items.
3. **Collection options.** Australia Post reports that 32% of shoppers would switch retailers for out-of-home collection such as Parcel Lockers, and collection points remove failed deliveries for customers who aren't home.
4. **Tracking that works.** When delivery takes longer, customers check tracking more. Getting tracking numbers to the customer and the marketplace promptly reduces enquiries.
5. **Freight costs that don't erase margin.** Remote surcharges and bulky items can turn a profitable order into a loss if postage isn't calculated correctly.

Delivery expectations more broadly are covered in [what Australian online shoppers expect in 2026](https://ecomchannels.com/insights/australian-online-shopper-expectations-2026/).

## Key figures

- **2.7 million regional and remote households** spent **$20.6 billion** online in 2025 ([Australia Post, 2026](https://auspost.com.au/content/dam/auspost_corp/media/documents/ecommerce-reports/annual-ecommerce-reports/ecommerce-report-2026.pdf)).
- Outer regional and remote online spend grew **14.4%** in 2025, ahead of capital cities at 13.8% ([Australia Post, 2026](https://auspost.com.au/content/dam/auspost_corp/media/documents/ecommerce-reports/annual-ecommerce-reports/ecommerce-report-2026.pdf)).
- Inner regional online spend grew **16.6%** in the September 2026 quarter ([Australia Post FY27 Q1, 2026](https://auspost.com.au/content/dam/auspost/documents/ecommerce/quarterly-updates/oct-2026-quarterly-ecommerce-update.pdf)).
- **Toowoomba and Mackay** were the top two Australian postcodes by parcel volume in the September 2026 quarter ([Australia Post FY27 Q1, 2026](https://auspost.com.au/content/dam/auspost/documents/ecommerce/quarterly-updates/oct-2026-quarterly-ecommerce-update.pdf)).
- Regional workers who can't do their job without the internet rose from **49% to 60%** between 2021 and 2025 ([auDA, 2025](https://www.auda.org.au/news-insights/research-reports/digital-lives-of-australians/digital-lives-of-australians-2025/)).

## How eComChannels helps

Serving regional customers profitably depends on dispatch, carrier choice and tracking, which eComChannels automates.

- [AI auto shipping](https://ecomchannels.com/products/ai-shipping/) works with Australia Post, StarTrack, CouriersPlease and Allied Express from one screen. It creates labels and manifests, applies your shipping rules for parcel size and destination, and pushes tracking back to each marketplace. You can use the carrier that suits each lane without manual re-keying, and carrier claims are handled in the same place.
- [Order management](https://ecomchannels.com/products/order-management/) brings orders from your storefront and marketplaces into one dispatch queue with synced stock, so regional orders go out on time and don't get delayed by stock errors.

[Book a demo or start a 30-day free trial](https://ecomchannels.com/book-a-demo/) to map your regional shipping lanes with us.

## FAQ

### Is online shopping growing faster in regional Australia than in cities?

In 2025, outer regional and remote areas grew 14.4%, slightly faster than capital cities (13.8%), while inner regional areas grew 13.6%. Australia Post's 2025 report also found regional areas outpaced metro growth in 2024.

### Which regional areas shop online the most?

By parcel volume, Mackay and Toowoomba in Queensland ranked first and second in Australia in the September 2026 quarter, ahead of every metropolitan postcode.

### How should I set delivery expectations for remote customers?

Show a delivery range based on postcode and carrier at checkout, offer collection points where available, and send tracking promptly. Regional shoppers value reliability, so an accurate estimate is better than an optimistic one.

## Sources
- Australia Post eCommerce Report 2026, Australia Post (2026): https://auspost.com.au/content/dam/auspost_corp/media/documents/ecommerce-reports/annual-ecommerce-reports/ecommerce-report-2026.pdf
- Quarterly eCommerce Update FY27 Q1 (October 2026), Australia Post (2026): https://auspost.com.au/content/dam/auspost/documents/ecommerce/quarterly-updates/oct-2026-quarterly-ecommerce-update.pdf
- Australia Post eCommerce Report 2025, Australia Post (2025): https://auspost.com.au/content/dam/auspost_corp/media/documents/ecommerce-reports/annual-ecommerce-reports/ecommerce-report-2025.pdf
- Quarterly eCommerce Update January 2026, Australia Post (2026): https://auspost.com.au/content/dam/auspost_corp/media/documents/ecommerce-reports/quarterly-ecommerce-reports/january-2026-quarterly-ecommerce-update.pdf
- Digital Lives of Australians 2025, auDA (2025): https://www.auda.org.au/news-insights/research-reports/digital-lives-of-australians/digital-lives-of-australians-2025/
- Latest Nielsen consumer data shows 'Everything's too expensive', Nielsen (2025): https://www.nielsen.com/news-center/2025/latest-nielsen-consumer-data-shows-everythings-too-expensive/