Office workers ensure retail success

Office workers ensure retail successUrbis surveyed 3700 office workers to evaluate their weekly shopping habits and found that the average city office worker spends more than half of their annual retail spending while at work. Urbis’ 2013 Office Worker Spending Survey reported that the average office worker spends $11,000 per annum on retail, which equates to $230 spent every week on goods such as food, drink and clothing. According to the survey, almost all city workers buy something before, during or after work, with only 3 per cent buying nothing whatsoever. Lunch was the most popular purchase, with 84 per cent of workers spending $76 per week on food and beverages. In addition, one-third of all workers buy clothing during the week, with women spending marginally more than men. The workers’ top five must-have facilities within proximity of their offices are food courts, supermarkets, cafés, coffee outlets and ATMs (the most desired facility). Higher domestic prices and access to shopping options have led office workers to spend a staggering $10 billion a year on retail. A similar survey conducted recently in the US found that American office workers spend approximately two-thirds less than their Australian counterparts. The growing influence of online shopping seems to have had little impact on office workers’ real-world spending habits. According to Urbis, online purchases account for merely 10 per cent of Australian workers’ weekly retail spending, while a similar figure of 11 per cent was reported in the US. Find more on the Urbis survey here