INTERNET COMMERCE


Internet commerce is the term used in respect of the placement and receipt of orders via the internet. The ABS defines an order via the internet as a transaction where the commitment to purchase goods or services is made via the internet. The commitment to purchase is the agreement to purchase whether or not the payment is made via the internet. The scope of receiving orders is not limited to orders solely received from Australian households, businesses or government but also includes orders received from overseas customers. Income from the receipt of orders is referred to as internet income.

PLACING ORDERS

During the year ended 30 June 2013, results show over half of all businesses placed orders via the internet (53%).

The proportion of businesses that placed orders via the internet increased with each successive employment size range, from 46% of businesses with 0-4 persons employed to 82% of businesses with 200 or more persons employed. This is consistent with previous releases of these data.

Businesses in the Information media and telecommunications and Retail trade industries were most likely to have placed orders for goods or services via the internet, at 70%, followed closely by Wholesale trade (67%). By comparison, one third of businesses in Transport, postal and warehousing (33%) placed orders via the internet.

RECEIVING ORDERS

Measures of receipt of orders via the internet exclude transactions where the commitment to purchase is not made via the internet. For example, regular orders made via the internet for goods or services, where the original commitment to purchase was made using other arrangements are excluded. The proportion of businesses that received orders via the internet during 2012-13 was 30%, with income obtained from these orders totalling an estimated $246 billion.


Overall, the proportion of Australian businesses that received orders via the internet increased by two percentage points between 2011-12 and 2012-13, from 28% in 2011-12 to 30% in 2012-13

During 2012-13, the proportion of businesses that received orders via the internet increased with each successive employment size range. Businesses with 0-4 persons employed were least likely to receive orders via the internet (25%), while businesses with 200 or more persons employed were the most likely (44%).

More than half of all businesses in the Information media and telecommunications industry received orders via the internet during 2012-13 (52%). Businesses in Wholesale trade (50%) and Manufacturing (48%) were the next most likely to have received orders via the internet, while results show businesses in Agriculture, forestry and fishing were the least likely to do so (14%).