Katherine residents are turning to online shopping in record numbers.
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About 20,000 parcels were delivered to Katherine homes in December, a record.
Katherine Post distribution centre manager Michael Paice said the upward trend has exploded with the boom of online shopping.
But with an increasing amount of people turning to the internet, local trade is on the decline.
“Every peak season, every sale, we get an increase in parcels,” Mr Paice said.
“That is the way of the world now.
“When you’re living in Katherine or living remote it is hard to get the things you need. I have even bought nappies online. Everything is very available.”
Online shopping puts millions of products at the fingers of customers and quick shipping has made everything much more accessible, he said.
“It was a very busy Christmas period. I am still catching my breath, I was just worked off my feet,” Mr Paice said.
“It keeps growing, and every year we put in more over time to get parcels delivered.”
A Katherine business owner for 27 years, Fe Fahey from Fe’s Variety Store, said online shopping is a contributing factor to the decline in shoppers shopping locally.
“It is so easy for people to go online and buy things these days,” Fe said.
“Even when you buy your clothing online you can send it back if it doesn’t fit.
“Digitally you can do anything, you don’t have to leave your house.”
Fe’s Variety Store has recently been launched online to garner a wider audience and keep up with the times.
“You can be looking at a product on the shelf and compare prices online and people really don’t take into account that the item might be heavy to ship, adding to the price,” Mary Ann Frogley, also from Fe’s Variety Store, said.
“We had to take that into account. Local businesses need to catch up, that is the way it is going now.
“I am not sure there is anything to do except get online yourself.”
The pair noticed a drop in sales about four or five years ago when online shopping began to take off.
“It does make it harder. We have a love hate relationship with online shopping,” Mrs Frogley said.
“On the one hand it is working for us, we now have international shoppers buying from us, but on the other hand it pulls customers away from our Katherine store.
“There are still a lot of people who need to see what they are buying though, and enjoy coming in to see what we have and I don’t think that will ever change.”
Katherine has had a long standing issue with empty store fronts.
In May 2017, Katherine’s last jewellry store closed its doors for good due to high rent and not enough shoppers.
And in a 2018 Katherine Times’ poll it was revealed residents thought additional store fronts on the street would revitalise the town and entice tourists and locals to shop locally.
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