Australia enters 2026 in a period defined less by disruption and more by sustained pressure. Cost-of-living concerns remain front of mind for consumers, shaped by persistent inflation, elevated interest rates, and ongoing economic uncertainty. To better understand how these dynamics are influencing shopping behavior, Wunderkind surveyed Australian consumers to explore how they plan to shop, engage with brands, and evaluate digital experiences in the year ahead.
The result is the 2026 Australia Consumer Insights Report, which reveals a market that hasn’t stepped back from digital commerce — but has become far more selective. Online shopping is firmly embedded across generations, yet expectations around relevance, control, and trust are higher than ever. For Australian brands, growth in 2026 will not come from broader reach or louder messaging, but from delivering experiences that respect attention and earn permission.
Online shopping is firmly established across Australian consumers, particularly among Millennials and Gen Z, who shop online multiple times per week. Older consumers continue to participate regularly but with more deliberate intent, prioritizing trust and clarity over frequency.
This isn’t a market pulling back, it’s a market paying closer attention.
Smartphones are nearly universal among Australian consumers, making mobile performance a baseline requirement. But like other mature markets, desktop and tablet usage remain important for research-heavy and confidence-driven purchases.
Consumers expect to move seamlessly between devices without losing context. Identity-driven continuity is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s an expectation.
Australian consumers place the most trust in brand-owned environments and established retailers. Email and text remain the most trusted re-engagement channels, precisely because they are opt-in and controllable. Paid retargeting ranks lowest, reinforcing growing resistance to interruptive advertising.
Opt-in is earned through clear value — free shipping, loyalty rewards, exclusive access — and sustained through frequency control.
Australian consumers are open to AI-powered personalization, particularly younger cohorts. But enthusiasm is conditional. Messages that are poorly timed, overly frequent, or insufficiently explained erode trust quickly.
The expectation isn’t more AI, it’s better decisioning. Consumers reward brands that use intelligence to suppress noise as much as deliver opportunity.
Australian brands that outperform will be those that shift from campaign-led thinking to relationship-led execution. That means treating attention as finite, using identity to create continuity, applying AI to improve relevance, and practicing restraint as a competitive advantage.
In a cautious but stable market, the brands that grow won’t chase volume. They’ll earn loyalty by respecting the consumer.
To explore the full findings and see what this means for your brand, read the full 2026 Australia Consumer Insights Report.