Australians went all-in online in December as retail, news and video surge

Australia’s extended end-of-year sales cycle delivered one of the most concentrated digital commerce moments on record, with nearly the entire online population engaging with retail, news and content platforms in December, according to new Ipsos iris data.

Data released by Ipsos shows 21.8 million Australians aged 14 and over – some 98.5% of the online population – visited retail and commerce websites or apps in December, closing out a promotional period that stretched from October through to Christmas.

Aussies spent an average close to 8 hours consuming retail and commerce content during the month, equivalent to more than 15 minutes a day, as discounting and gifting demand kept audiences active well beyond traditional sales peaks.

Retail engagement was broad, with beverages emerging as one of the fastest-growing sub-categories, rising from 7.6 million users in November to 9.1 million in December. Beauty also continued to build momentum, growing 4% month on month to reach 8.4 million people.

Ipsos data also pointed to a seasonal return to long-form consumption, with the books and literature category (including e-books) rising 6.4% month-on-month, driven by summer reading and festive gifting.

Women accounted for the majority of retail and commerce engagement, representing 52.4% of the audience, compared with 47.6% for men.

The surge in retail activity ran in parallel with sustained news consumption, reinforcing December as a dual peak for both commerce and information. Ipsos iris data shows 21.3 million Australians accessed a news website or app in December, spending an average of 3.3 hours consuming news content during the month.

BBC grows, ABC holds

Audience growth across news brands was uneven in December, reflecting how major breaking events and international news cycles reshaped consumption patterns. BBC.com recorded the strongest month-on-month growth among the top news brands, lifting its Australian audience by 20.2% to 5.1 million people, as global coverage drove increased engagement.

Several domestic publishers also posted solid gains. The Sydney Morning Herald grew its audience by 14.5% to 7.5 million, while Daily Mail Australia rose 13.9% to reach just over 7 million users. The Guardian Australia recorded a 12.3% increase, climbing to 8.4 million people in December.

At the top end of the market, ABC News remained the largest news brand by audience, reaching 12.9 million Australians in December, up 5.5% month on month. News.com.au followed closely with 12.3 million users, maintaining its position as the leading commercial news site by scale. Nine.com.au rounded out the top three, growing 2.2% to reach 9.9 million people.

Across categories, Ipsos iris reported that 22 million Australians accessed the internet in December, spending an average of 4.6 hours per day online, up 1.7% year-on-year. The most consumed digital categories during the month were search engines, social networking, online media, technology, and retail and commerce.