A fact compounded by the strong Aussie dollar, Australian consumers know the smartest to shop is online, it is deemed unsavvy to pay more than full retail for a product.
In a push by Australian retail giants, such as Harvey Norman, the Australian Government Productivity Commission will launch an inquiry into globalisation of shopping which includes a review the online tax-free threshold of $1,000.
So which are the sites clever bargain hunters should know about? There are myriads of trusted international and Australian online stores, that sell everything from the latest games to beauty products for bargain prices. We chose and compared a handful of these sites, each prominent specialists in the products offered (prices listed are in Australian dollars).
StrawberryNET
Don't be fooled by the out dated website design, StrawberryNET is extremely reliable. London based website offers an expansive range of female and male beauty products. For example, the market-flooded mens fragrance Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio Eua du toilett spray is $76.50 for 100 mls, with free shipping. Australian retail department giant, David Jones, sells the same product for almost 100% more, at $145.
OzGameShop
UK based, OzGameShop.com, is the way to go for two reasons. For one, all games shipped to Australia are PAL, a good way to get around the obsolete Australian game ratings. At OzGame, Pre-order for Xbox version of Dragon Age 2 is $62.99, with free shipping. Pre-oder for the same product at EB Games is $99 (web only price), also with free delivery.
Steam
Every gamer worth their grain is aware of Steam, the online game distribution haven. Steam is infamous for specials and hard-to-say-no-to game packs, and one such game pack is the Bethesda Pack. For $70.50 gamers get: Rogue Warrior, Morrowind, Oblivion, Call of Cthulhu, Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas. Unsurprisingly, EB Games offers Fallout New Vegas PC for $88. Enough said.
The Book Depository
Online shopping is heaven for a book lover. The Book Depository has over 40 categories of books, to drool over and offers free world wide shipping. The hardcover copy of Charles Stross' latest work, The Fueller Memorandum, can be found at the Book Depositor for AUD $21.13 with free shipping, whereas Dymock stocks the work for AUD $34.95 plus $5.50 delivery to the NSW metro area.
GraysOnline.com.au
With 70 different categories to browse, from jewellery to industrial equipment GraysOnline.com.au is one of the best places to find a bargain. Notably one of the best categories to find a bargain is the Wine section. For example 6 bottles of Moet & Chandon Brut Grand Vintage Champagne is $479.94 with free delivery, comparably Dan Murphy's price is $508.80 per case of 6.
Do you have a favourite place to shop online? Add your comment and share your experience below.