Aussie etailers looking to catch up to US and UK

Online shopping is all the rage for busy consumers. Although Australians are the third-most prolific online shoppers in the world, the nation is lagging slightly behind the United Kingdom and the United States, reports the Daily Telegraph.

Michael Fox, director of operations at the fashion etailer Shoes of Prey, has a theory as to why that may be.

"In the US and UK there was a big catalogue culture whereby people were used to ordering products by mail and have them delivered," Fox told the paper. "And that culture easily evolved into online shopping, not just because customers were used to a similar shopping experience but because freight services were developed and competitive."

Fox also speculates that because Australia is a sparsely-populated nation, many online retailers don't face stiff competition. As a result, they can get lazy about customer service, product updates and other innovations.

However, according to the Telegraph, the times may be changing for Aussie etailers as more and more brands move online. These days, Aussies can get everything from designer sunglasses to fresh produce online.

In fact, Australians are currently spending more than $23 billion online every year - and that figure could be as high as $32 billion by 2012, according to Forrester Research.