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Myer is cutting board fees, capping executive salaries and forcing directors to buy more shares in an attempt to avoid a second strike against its remuneration report and a board spill at the annual meeting in November.

About 29.4 per cent of shares voted – including those of Solomon Lew's Premier Investments – were against the remuneration report last year, triggering a "first strike".

With Premier Investments threatening to vote its 10.8 per cent stake against the remuneration report again this year and encouraging other investors to follow suit, Myer has been negotiating with institutional shareholders to improve its remuneration structure to avoid a second strike at the annual meeting on November 30.

Myer will cut the chairman's fee to $300,000 in 2019 from $350,000 in 2018 and $400,000 in 2017 and non-executive directors' fees will be reduced from $150,000 to $120,000.

Myer will also force non-executive directors to buy Myer shares equivalent to at least one year of fees within three years to better align the interests of directors and shareholders.

Following further consultation with shareholders, the company has made a number of changes to executive remuneration, with fixed remuneration for new executives to be no more and in some cases less than that for previous executives.

For example, new chief executive John King, who took the helm in June from Richard Umbers, will receive total fixed compensation of $1.2 million – in line with that of Mr Umbers, which hasn't increased since 2015.

Weighted towards equity
Mr King's total remuneration is heavily weighted towards equity. While he received an initial grant of share rights, he will not participate in the short-term incentive plan until 2020 although he will participate in the 2019 long-term incentive plan.

No payments will be made under the short-term incentive plan unless Myer achieves net profit growth.

Mr King must also hold Myer shares equivalent to 75 per cent of his total fixed remuneration for the duration of his employment.

Myer's annual report also revealed the company incurred at least $2.4 million in termination payments in 2018 – $1.29 million to Mr Umbers, who left in February, $540,811 to former chief financial officer Grant Devonport, who left in January, and $583,251 to former deputy CEO and chief merchandise and customer officer Daniel Bracken, who left in July 2017.

Mr King said in the annual report he was confident his new Customer First strategy – which includes improved in-store experiences, exclusive brands and private label brands, accelerated cost reduction and supply chain restructuring and a better online offer – will improve Myer's financial performance and deliver shareholder value.

"Importantly, we can rebuild pride, confidence and relevance in Myer," Mr King said.

"I strongly believe Myer's best days are ahead and I look forward to a year of delivery, not promises."

Premier Investments has asked for a new copy of Myer's register of shareholders and is expected to start contacting investors ahead of the annual meeting to garner their support to spill the board and appoint three of Mr Lew's nominees.

However, Investors Mutual, which owns 9.8 per cent, and Wilson Asset Management, which has 5.5 per cent, have voiced support for Mr King and say he should be given a stable environment in which to operate.

Investors Mutual fund manager Simon Conn said the changes to board fees and remuneration were sensible.

"They've been trying to reduce costs across the board and shrinking directors fees and the chairmans fee is reflective of the smaller size of the business," he said.

"There's been significant changes with the board and the management team - there's a whole new regime in place - and we have to recognise that and not vote against it."

After flagging strong sales in July and August, Temple & Webster has reported a solid first quarter in what it expects to be its first profitable year of trading since launching in 2011.

The online homewares and furniture retailer’s gross revenue was up a record 39 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter of FY19 and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation were in excess of $200,000.

Temple & Webster CEO Mark Coulter credited the strong performance to the company’s value- and convenience-focused offering, which he said is resonating in a softer housing market.

Bricks-and-mortar players in the space, such as Beacon Lighting, have revealed plans to target customers undertaking home renovations to offset any possible impact of falling house prices on sales.

Temple & Webster is also looking to make the most of its head start on digital furniture and homewares sales, only 4 per cent of which currently occur online, as more consumers shift to buying bulky items over the internet.

The number of active customers grew by 30 per cent year-on-year, reaching 214,000, and a record number of first-time customers were added during the quarter at a cost of $55 per customer. Forty-five per cent of orders were made by repeat customers.

“As market leader, we are best positioned to capture the migration of spend from offline to online,” Coulter said, citing investment in digital platforms, delivery experience, private label range and marketing to ensure the company is “the first place Australians turn to when shopping for their homes”.

The group finished the quarter ended September 30, 2018, with a cash balance of $10.5 million and net cash flows of $600,000.

Amazon has stepped up pressure on Coles and Woolworths to invest in their online grocery offers by adding food and beverages to its Australian e-commerce site.

From Wednesday, Amazon will start selling dry groceries such as tea, coffee and tinned goods as well as specialty, health and organic foods, rounding out its existing range of non-food groceries and household cleaning products.

The new pantry food range includes more than 400 Australian and international brands such as Arnott's and Oreo biscuits, Milo milk powder, Uncle Tobys breakfast cereals, Masterfoods seasonings, T2 tea, Carman's and Sanitarium breakfast cereals, Lindt and M&Ms chocolates and Powerade energy drink.

The new pantry offer comes a month after Amazon added pet supplies, travel and outdoor goods, automotive supplies and jewellery to its range and takes the number of categories to 27 and the number of products to more than 80 million.

"Since the launch of amazon.com.au in December of last year, we have been focused on growing selection and services for Australian customers," Amazon Australia country manager Rocco Braeuniger said. "Today we are delighted to add to the over 80 million products already available on the store with the launch of pantry food and drinks, bringing greater convenience to customers, underscored by everyday brilliant value and fast delivery."

It is understood Amazon has no plans to start selling fresh foods in the short- to medium-term, as it lacks a chilled supply chain.

Amazon will sell pantry foods on a first-party and a third-party (marketplace) basis. This means orders will be eligible for Amazon's Prime subscription-based free two-day delivery service if they are first-party products or if marketplace sellers are using Amazon's fulfilment services.

Amazon has also established a one-day delivery service in select areas in Australia, prompting Woolworths and Coles – which dominate online food retailing in Australia – to start testing express two-hour deliveries in selected supermarkets and liquor stores.

Online penetration in the $100 billion food and grocery market is just 2 per cent, compared with 5 per cent in China and Britain, according to a recent report by Macquarie Equities. However, it is growing fast, by about 25 per cent a year.

Concern from suppliers
Macquarie Equities says while consumer demand for online food shopping is significant, "lack of attractive online offers keeps that in check". Faster and cheaper deliveries will be crucial to encouraging more consumers to shop for groceries online.

Some food and grocery suppliers have been reluctant to sell their wares on Amazon, fearful of damaging their relationships with Woolworths and Coles and worried the major chains will retaliate by delisting their brands or demanding cheaper prices.

However, encouraged by global brands such as Kimberly Clark, Reckitt Benckiser and Unilever, a growing number of Australian food and grocery brands including Coca-Cola Amatil, Fairy and Swisse are taking the plunge.

One such company is Honest to Goodness, a 16-year-old family-owned health foods business that plans to sell about one-third of its 1000-odd products, including grains, nuts, seeds and spreads, on Amazon.com.au.

Co-founder Karen Ward says the move may cannibalise sales from Honest to Goodness' e-commerce site, but is expected to boost overall sales, which have been growing between 10 and 30 per cent a year.

"For us it's about making [our products] much more accessible to everyday Australians," Ms Ward told The Australian Financial Review.

"A lot of our specialty products just aren't available in stores, such as our range of superfoods, and it's a good way of getting some unique Australian products to people who might not be aware of them.

"You can't go to a shop and buy [organic beetroot powder] ... there are products like that I think will go quite well."

Ms Ward also said Amazon's logistics would help the company reduce delivery costs to customers. "A lot of our products are heavy (e.g. five kilogram packs of almonds) and it's expensive to have them delivered," she said.

"If they can use Amazon logistics its makes it much easier for them and makes it much more affordable as well – they're not paying freight if they're Prime members."

Call it the revenge of the middleman.

When Ben Nathan's New Zealand-based apparel wholesaling business dried up as customers such as The Warehouse and Harris Scarfe starting sourcing directly from factories in China he reached into his bottom drawer.

During one of his many trips to China 10 years ago Mr Nathan had seen first-hand the massive mark-up on high-end goods and felt there must be a way for consumers to buy direct from manufacturers at factory prices.

He started drawing up plans for an online business which enabled consumers to group together and buy products from factories that had minimum orders in the hundreds or thousands, but the timing didn't feel right.

Online retailing was in its infancy, especially in New Zealand, and few suppliers were selling bulky goods online and delivering them directly to customers.

"Back then online businesses were selling small items like lipsticks and clothes you could put into a small Fedex bag and there was little risk," Mr Nathan recalled

The former wholesaler dusted off his plan a few years ago, when he tried to buy a kayak directly from a factory in China at less than half the retail price but they refused to sell him anything less than a container load.

He rallied a few mates and within 24 hours had enough customers to buy 30 kayaks and ship them to New Zealand in a nine-metre container.

"That's when I knew the timing was right, because people were willing to spend that money without even seeing [the product]," he said.

Mr Nathan launched Containerdoor.com, a F2C (factory to consumer) e-commerce platform which poses a new threat to established bricks and mortar and online retailers by linking consumers directly to factories in China.

Mr Nathan and his team scout the best manufacturers for products such as sporting and recreational goods and outdoor furniture, list the products on Containerdoor.com at a fraction of the retail price and when sufficient customers register interest, complete the order.

Once orders are finalised, delivery can take on average six or eight weeks and products are shipped in containers rather than air-freighted, so the service is not for impatient consumers accustomed to next-day delivery.

"We can compete anywhere in the world on price but we can't deliver in two days like Amazon," Mr Nathan said.

Nevertheless, customer numbers in New Zealand have reached 100,000 and about 80,0000 products across 3500 'deals' – including kayaks, surfboards and stand-up paddle boards, barbecues, replica designer furniture and pet accessories – have been shipped over the last three years.

"Consumers have told us they will wait for a bargain and it doesn't necessarily have to be the cheapest," Mr Nathan said.

After raising $NZ5 million from high net-worth investors to fund expansion, Mr Nathan is launching Containerdoor.com in Sydney this week and plans to expand to Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, shipping container loads of stock directly into Australian ports to reduce costs rather than shipping across the Tasman.

With a gross margin about one-third that of traditional specialty retailers, Mr Nathan claims Container Door's prices are cheaper than those for comparable products on daily deal sites, online discounters and established retailers such as Bunnings, Super Retail Group's BCF, Anaconda and Matt Blatt.

For example, a Kamado barbecue grill/smoker is offered at $799 compared with $1499 at Barbecues Galore and a replica Eames chair and ottoman is offered at $699 compared with $1995 at Matt Blatt, although buyers will have to wait until January for delivery, assuming there are sufficient orders to complete the deal.

Because of the time between ordering and delivery the product range is limited to discretionary goods that customers do not need immediately and bulky products that online retailers such as Amazon struggle to ship.

Mr Nathan plans to expand the range 10-fold in the next six months, adding new categories such as office furniture and promotional goods. For example, one corporate client ordered 17,000 basketballs for a fraction of the price he could source them in New Zealand.

"My global aspiration is to have communities of consumers buying what they love from factories that make what they want," said Mr Nathan.

"We connect them to a factory or a service and they use their buying power to negotiate the best price."

F2C commerce is estimated to be growing by about 200 per cent a year as online marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay and Alibaba enable factories in Asia to overcome crossborder barriers and sell their products directly to consumers.

Online retailer Catch has opened the doors to its first bricks-and-mortar store at Chadstone Shopping Centre in a former Toys ‘R’ Us store.

Based on Catch’s concept of providing ‘Screamin’ Good Deals’, the pop-up store stocks the company’s top 500 products across health, beauty, electronics, homewares and other categories, alongside a daily rotation of the most loved-products from leading brands.

“This is an innovative marketing idea by the team at Catch and it is all about meeting customers, acquiring customers and bringing an exciting shopping experience for a limited time,” Catch Group chief executive Nati Harpaz told IRW when the concept was first announced in August.

“Ultimately, we want more customers to know about us and shop with us. Chadstone is Australia’s busiest shopping centre with hundreds of thousands of weekly visitors and we are looking forward to showcasing our amazing deals to this unique customer base.”

More than one million customers visit Chadstone Shopping Centre each week.

Catch Group’s head of marketing Ryan Gracie said the pop-up store offers a new kind of shopping experience. Customers can shop in-store using their personal device, access instant click-and-collect and live chat with the customer service team in Catch’s Melbourne headquarters.

“Shoppers can expect to see hourly deals, two-hourly offerings and daily deals,” Gracie added.

“We have a lot of stock in our back room that we plan to introduce and rotate. Our trading space is 500sqm, while our back room is 1500sqm.”

Harpaz has been quick to quell the idea that the pop-up points to a more permanent physical expansion in the future, stating that “we see ourselves as a pure online retailer and physical space will only be used for marketing purposes”.

“Catch does things differently, that’s always been the way,” Harpaz said.

“Every day our aim is to provide an exceptional shopping experience, now we’re taking what makes catch famous online to an in-store.”

The timing of the pop-up, however, coincides with rumours that Catch is preparing for an initial public offering. Gary Levin was recently appointed chairman of Catch Group’s board.

Opening on Wednesday, October 10, the pop-up store will trade through the holidays until late January.

Amazon.com says is raising the minimum wage it pays all US ­employees to $US15 ($20.90) an hour, firing back at criticism over its compensation for warehouse workers and stoking competition for labour in the holiday-shopping period.

The new minimum wage will kick in on November 1, Amazon says, covering more than 250,000 current employees, or more than 40 per cent of its global workforce. Another 100,000-plus seasonal holiday employees will be granted the higher pay.

Exactly how big a financial commitment the announcement entails is difficult to assess. Starting hourly pay varies across Amazon’s warehouses, though it is generally several dollars lower than $US15. Amazon is also giving hourly workers who made $US15 or more a raise, though it didn’t specify the increase. But the company is doing away with certain ­incentive pay and stock compensation for hourly warehouse and customer-service employees, potentially helping offset the cost to the company of the wage increase.

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Amazon, which has a market value of almost $US1 trillion and revenue last year of $US178 billion, can absorb the added costs, analysts say. The goodwill gained with politicians and workers could outweigh any hit to profitability, and such a move gives Amazon a possible advantage in hiring tens of thousands of workers during a competitive holiday season and a low-unemployment environment.

More broadly, Amazon’s commitment provides fresh evidence that the strong job market is pressuring businesses to bid up wages for lower-skilled workers and spreading the benefits of a long-running economic expansion more widely. Meanwhile, politicians in several states are working to boost hourly pay. In California, the state’s minimum wage is set to rise to $US15 an hour in 2022.

Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos used the announcement to go on the offensive against rivals as well as politicians and others who have questioned the company’s treatment of workers.

“We listened to our critics, thought hard about what we wanted to do, and decided we want to lead,” Mr Bezos said. “We’re excited about this change and encourage our competitors and other large employers to join us.”

Amazon’s sheer size and market dominance has made it a corporate target of politicians on the left and right. They claim the company mistreats its workers and doesn’t pay its fair share in taxes, and criticise it for its impact on the economy and traditional retailers.

Analysts said the wage changes were likely to result in a small ding to profitability. A US50c raise an hour across 250,000 employees, for example, would imply a post-tax impact on operating profit of roughly $US200 million, or 1-2 per cent, according to Colin Sebastian, an analyst with Robert W. Baird.

But Amazon’s revenue growth is so strong — consistently hovering around 40 per cent — that it has managed to post record profits even in periods of heavy investments. In July, the company reported its quarterly profit topped $US2.5bn for the first time on nearly $US53bn in revenue.

Amazon’s pay raise quickly won political praise. US President Donald Trump’s chief economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, told reporters at the White House: “Good for them. I’m in favour of higher wages.” Mr Trump has been a big Amazon detractor, in part for its effect on other retailers.

One possible political convert is senator Bernie Sanders, who has made Amazon and Mr Bezos a favourite target in his messaging about wealth inequality. He recently introduced a bill, called the BEZOS Act, aimed at taxing big companies whose employees rely on federal benefits to make ends meet.

On Tuesday, the Vermont independent struck a different tone. “What Mr Bezos has done today is not only enormously important for Amazon’s hundreds of thousands of employees, it could well be a shot heard around the world,” Senator Sanders said. “I urge corporate leaders around the country to follow Mr Bezos’s lead.”

Amazon’s announcement comes as the retail and logistics industries are kicking off their hiring for the year-end holidays, and experts in those fields say the e-commerce giant may have gained a leg-up in labour markets.

Minimum pay of $US15 an hour put the online retail giant in the top 25 per cent for starting wages for general warehouse jobs in the US, said Brian Devine, senior vice-president of the logistics-staffing company ProLogistix.

“This will impact every other company’s ability to attract and retain workers,” Mr Devine said.

US retailers are already scrambling to find enough workers to staff stores. Target has said it plans to hire 120,000 seasonal workers. For their warehouses, United Parcel Service has said it will hire roughly 100,000 seasonal workers, while FedEx has said it will take on 55,000.

Amazon said its salary increase would cover part-time and temporary workers hired by agencies. It also covers recently acquired Whole Foods Market employees, where there are efforts to unionise.

Wages in several low-skill ­occupations including warehouse workers, retail clerks and restaurant waiters are rising at a faster rate this year than overall hourly pay, according to Labour Department data. Declining unemployment points to a scarcity of workers that is forcing employers to pay more.

Several large retailers have raised their minimum wages in the tight labour market. Walmart, which employs 1.5 million people in the US, in January said it would raise starting hourly pay to $US11 for all US employees. That followed a similar move by Target, which raised its starting hourly pay to $US12 in September, from $US11 last year, and set plans to lift it to $US15 by 2020.

The national jobless rate has fallen to 3.9 per cent, near low levels last seen in 2000. In all, there are more available jobs in the US than unemployed workers.

David Jones is banking on the power of shoes.

The department store opens the first stage of its $200 million Elizabeth Street flagship redevelopment in Sydney’s CBD tonight, the much-anticipated “Shoe Heaven” at the top of the historic building.

“We’re looking to emulate the greatness the store once stood for,” David Jones chief executive David Thomas said.

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“We’re creating something unrivalled in Australian retail.”

Mr Thomas said the main inspiration for the shoe floor came via Paris department store Le Bon Marche, with nods to fellow Parisian Printemps and London’s Selfridges and Harvey Nichols.

Forty staff have been recruited specifically for the shoe floor, many of them with overseas experience, in addition to a continuing staff of more than 20.

Of the new hirings, 85 per cent are multilingual, and a number have been hired internationally.

With service top of mind, the offering also has to be impressive.

“We’ve got close to 100 of the world’s best brands together in one place,” Mr Thomas said.

“Our choice is not what to put in store, but what not to put in store — we’ve edited and curated a range ahead of the world’s best because of the brands that we have gone with.”

New partnerships have been forged with luxury labels Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Gucci, which will all have bespoke concession stores on the floor.

Brands new to the store include Christian Dior, Jacquemus, Malone Souliers, Roger Vivier and Rene Caovilla.

While the retailer won’t ­divulge sales figures on specifics, Mr Thomas said he expected sales to be “significantly more than we used to do — and we have very ambitious targets”.

To celebrate the launch, members of the Sydney Dance Company will perform tonight, and weekly for the immediate future, to bring “entertainment, shopping and theatre together”, Mr Thomas said.

Rafael Bonachela, artistic director of the SDC, is excited about the collaboration, the third with the retailer in his 10-year tenure at the company, which has ­included live performances at catwalk shows and appearing in campaigns.

“The dancers enjoyed it and I enjoyed it, and both organisations left wanting more,” Bonachela said. “Fashion and dance have always been connected in many ways.

“We celebrate the body and individuality and personality. There’s a lot of synergy between both companies.”

Bonachela will create a site-specific work for a group of dancers to accompany smaller vignettes from existing works.

“Every opportunity we get to be closer to the audience and ­people, it’s just about allowing the imagination to flow,” he said.

And, hopefully from the David Jones viewpoint, an opportunity for cash registers to ring.

Qantas has launched an online portal, Qantas Shopping, where customers can earn Qantas Points on each item they purchase online across over 150 retailers.

The shop offers over 600 brands, with 8000 products available for purchase by redeeming Qantas’ reward points.

By logging in with a Frequent Flyer membership, customers can earn points across multiple online marketplaces which can be used in the Qantas Rewards store.

“Shopping is a really easy way for Qantas Frequent Flyers to boost their points balance and reach their next reward faster, especially if they use their Qantas Points-earning card to pay,” a Qantas spokesperson said.

“Whether they’re purchasing everyday items like groceries or indulging in a luxury buy, when they shop at Qantas Shopping, Frequent Flyers can earn points across a wide range of categories with some of Australia’s most-loved brands.”

Brands offered through the website include Apple, Converse, David Jones, JD Sports, Sephora, The Iconic, and more.

As an introductory offer, more than 60 retailers are offering bonus loyalty points per dollar spent through the Qantas Shopping marketplace.

Qantas has launched an online portal, Qantas Shopping, where customers can earn Qantas Points on each item they purchase online across over 150 retailers.

The shop offers over 600 brands, with 8000 products available for purchase by redeeming Qantas’ reward points.

By logging in with a Frequent Flyer membership, customers can earn points across multiple online marketplaces which can be used in the Qantas Rewards store.

“Shopping is a really easy way for Qantas Frequent Flyers to boost their points balance and reach their next reward faster, especially if they use their Qantas Points-earning card to pay,” a Qantas spokesperson said.

“Whether they’re purchasing everyday items like groceries or indulging in a luxury buy, when they shop at Qantas Shopping, Frequent Flyers can earn points across a wide range of categories with some of Australia’s most-loved brands.”

Brands offered through the website include Apple, Converse, David Jones, JD Sports, Sephora, The Iconic, and more.

As an introductory offer, more than 60 retailers are offering bonus loyalty points per dollar spent through the Qantas Shopping marketplace.

Last year Solomon Lew's Premier Investments invested about $10 million to move retail brands such as Dotti, Portmans and Just Jeans onto a new e-commerce platform designed to make it easier for customers to shop on mobile phones.

The investment crimped Premier's 2018 profit growth but has started paying off through higher conversion rates, which have risen more than 30 per cent.

"Most of our sales are coming from mobile phones but they're the hardest to navigate," said Premier Investments retail chief Mark McInnes.

"We now have a mobile first design strategy across all our platforms – when we design our website we design it for mobile first and we scale it back for tablet and desktop."

Premier's investment reflects the growing power of mobile commerce as smartphone and e-commerce technology improves and as digital natives account for a bigger share of spending.

According to PayPal's latest mobile commerce report, one quarter of all online sales are now taken via mobile devices, up from 19 per cent a year ago and 13 per cent in 2016, and about 72 per cent of Australian consumers are using their mobiles to pay bills or shop online, with 48 per cent buying via mobile at least weekly.

But almost half (45 per cent) of Australia's online business are still not optimised to accept mobile payments and risk losing business when frustrated online shoppers struggle to search or pay for items using their phone. About 25 per cent of online shoppers (including 33 per cent of Millennials) abandon purchases when sites are not mobile-optimised.

PayPal Australia managing director Libby Roy says the gap between consumers' mobile commerce expectations and businesses with mobile-optimised sites is shrinking, but as impatient Millennials account for a growing share of the online market businesses needs to lift their game.

"What gives me confidence is that 55 per cent of businesses [up from 51 per cent] are now mobile-optimised – that's not enough but 87 per cent now recognise it's important," Ms Roy told The Australian Financial Review.

"We now have many more businesses thinking about this challenge and working on how they'll tackle it," she said. "Those merchants that are mobile-optimised are taking a greater share of the business."

Social commerce
Investment in mobile commerce will also become increasingly important as younger consumers embrace social commerce, clicking on buy buttons when they're on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

The survey found that 19 per cent of consumers are making social media purchases, up from 11 per cent in 2017, with 18- to 34-year-olds leading the charge (25 per cent), closely followed by 35- to 49-year-olds (24 per cent vs 11 per cent in 2017) despite security concerns.

Business adoption of mobile commerce is low, with only 13 per cent of online retailers enabling customers to shop directly through their social media feed, but another 22 per cent of businesses plan to sell via social media in the next six months.

The report also highlighted the growing popularity of online marketplaces and subscription services.

One in two Australians are using online subscription services, mainly for movies and music but increasingly for food such as meal kits, beauty and skincare, digital and audio books and pet accessories.

However, only 11 per cent of Australian businesses offer a subscription model, even though those that to do report strong incremental sales and say it's easier to retain customers.

"You'd think the highest reason for subscriptions would be convenience but what came through in the research is most Australians are looking for the happiness factor," said Ms Roy, citing growth in businesses such as Bellabox, which sends a box of beauty products every month.

Online marketplaces have also become increasingly popular, with 89 per cent of smartphone users shopping on marketplaces such as eBay, Amazon, Etsy and Alibaba and 44 per cent of online businesses selling via marketplaces. ​

"More consumers are using marketplaces to browse than search engines," said Ms Roy. "When a consumer knows what they're looking for a marketplace is a very effective place to go and get a range of options and see quickly what they can get that product for."