The right shopping site depends entirely on the job. Marketplaces (Amazon, eBay) win on range; the supermarkets (Woolworths, Coles) own the weekly shop; category killers (Bunnings, JB Hi-Fi, Kmart) win their lanes on price and stock; Gumtree owns local second-hand; and Temu wins only when price matters more than delivery time. Here’s how to use each without the traps.
Key takeaways
- On marketplaces you often buy from third-party sellers — check the seller, not just the product.
- Australian retailers are bound by Australian Consumer Law guarantees; offshore marketplaces can be slower and murkier to claim against.
- Click & collect kills most grocery delivery fees.
- Second-hand rule: inspect locally, pay on pickup, and walk away from deposits.
Who you’re actually buying from
The single most useful habit online is noticing the seller. On Amazon and eBay, many listings are third-party sellers using the platform’s shopfront — the experience, returns and warranty support vary with that seller, so check their rating before the price. Buying direct from an Australian retailer (JB Hi-Fi, Kmart, Bunnings) is simpler: one company, clear returns, and the Australian Consumer Law’s guarantees behind every purchase.
That law is the quiet difference between domestic and offshore shopping. A faulty kettle from an Australian retailer gets repaired, replaced or refunded under consumer guarantees. The same kettle from an offshore marketplace seller may eventually be refunded — but you’ll do it through platform dispute processes, in platform timeframes.
Groceries: the online duopoly
Woolworths and Coles have made online groceries genuinely good — full-range delivery windows, substitutions you can control, and rewards programs (Everyday Rewards, Flybuys) that work the same online as in store. The fee mathematics matter though: delivery fees vary with window and order size, while click & collect is usually free with a modest minimum spend.
The practical play for most households: a fortnightly click & collect for the big shop, topped up locally. Compare your usuals across both — the duopoly’s prices differ more than people assume, and both sites show unit pricing if you look for it.
Cheap, used and local
Temu earns its place in the top 10 on traffic alone — phenomenally cheap goods with the trade-offs printed in fine type: longer shipping, variable quality and sizing, and returns that test your patience. Sensible uses are low-stakes items where a miss costs little; poor uses are anything safety-critical, sized, or needed by Friday.
For second-hand, Gumtree and eBay split the market: eBay for posted, buyer-protected purchases; Gumtree for local pickup bargains. Gumtree’s golden rules — inspect in person, pay on pickup (never deposits to "hold" an item), meet somewhere sensible — defeat almost every classifieds scam. If an arrangement starts feeling strange, Scamwatch documents the current tricks.
See the rankings: the full Shopping & Marketplaces top 10 — every site above, ranked and compared side-by-side on cost, accounts, apps and ownership.
Frequently asked questions
Is Temu safe to buy from?
Is it cheaper to use Woolworths or Coles online?
What protections do I have buying from Australian retailers online?
Published 12 June 2026. General information reflecting public details at the time of writing — pricing, fees, rights deals and features change. aus.directory has no commercial relationship with any site mentioned; nothing here is financial or professional advice. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.