Kiwis not too bothered by online GST

eftpos,creditcard,online shopping,e-commerceLocal online retailers have no reason to worry when GST on online purchases kicks in this October, according to a study by Canstar Blue.

Respondents to Canstar Blue’s online shopping consumer research said GST will have little effect on their online shopping habits.

Convenience is the main driver for heading to the computer, with 70 per cent of respondents listing it as the reason they shop online, which is great news for NZ-based online retailers, Jose George, Canstar general manager, said.

“That puts New Zealand-based online retailers at a considerable advantage.” George said.

“While overseas sites will continue to be popular due to the huge range they can offer, New Zealand sites can compete strongly on speed and service, which our research shows customers value the most.”

Only 29 per cent said the new rules will put them off purchasing from overseas websites.

Ease of finding what they’re looking for (56 per cent) and price (54 per cent) complete the top three drivers.

The annual study, which measures customer satisfaction with New Zealand-based online department store websites, showed nearly a third (31 per cent) of those surveyed conduct around half of their shopping online, while 15 per cent use online shopping for everything.

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