Online shopping stories

Avast flags 430,000 blocked visits to fake online shops in Australia, warning scam “ghost stores” will surge over summer sales and Christmas.

One in three Australians are ready to let AI shop on their behalf, but fears over fraud, control and bad purchases still loom large.

Australia Post teams with The ICONIC and Oz Hair and Beauty, offering AUD $10 rewards to steer online shoppers towards Parcel Lockers.

Negative AI experiences in UK online shopping risk GBP £9 billion in sales, with 75% of AI-related reviews expressing dissatisfaction, new data shows.

UK saw the highest global Black Friday growth at 16%, driven by loyalty spend, AI tools, and personalised retail experiences, outpacing US and ANZ markets.

By 2026, AI, social commerce and immersive physical retail experiences will transform how consumers interact with brands both online and in stores.

UK eCommerce sales surged 27% during Black Friday as social media platforms like TikTok fueled a 152% global rise in social shopping transactions.

US retailers face rising friendly fraud during Cyber Week as 77% of shoppers dispute charges via banks, threatening profits amid USD $43.7bn online spend.

Black Friday searches hit 33.5bn, with pet products surging 81% and shoppers favouring value, wellness, and early deals over luxury goods this year.

UK shoppers favour AI for delivery tracking and returns but insist it should support, not replace, human customer service roles in retail.

US online sales reached a record USD $14.25 billion on Cyber Monday 2025, driven by strong discounts and a surge in mobile shopping activity.

Over half of Australians have received unwanted Christmas gifts, with 76% struggling to choose suitable presents each festive season, new research reveals.

Accessibility barriers cause 57% of UK shoppers, including 76% with disabilities, to abandon online purchases during key sales like Black Friday and January sales.

Around 60% of UK adults plan to shop this Black Friday, as retailers brace for rising cybercrime targeting fast-paced online sales and AI-driven bots.

UK shoppers and retailers brace for a spike in cyberattacks this Black Friday as criminals exploit rising online spending with advanced scams.

Cyber Monday overtook Black Friday as the busiest day for UK online orders during peak season, accounting for 42% of Black Friday weekend sales.

Nearly 80% of UK shoppers demand identical prices and promotions both online and in-store, linking price parity to brand loyalty and trust.

PureVPN launches a unified mobile app combining VPN, Password Manager, and more to reduce alert fatigue.

LG offers up to 50% off selected home appliances, TVs and monitors for Black Friday, with extra perks for members buying online in Australia until early December.

Fraud losses in the UK surged to GBP £1.17 billion in 2024, with Black Friday scams and unauthorised card fraud sharply increasing online threats.