Looking back and forward with Trade Me

As New Zealand’s largest online marketplace, Trade Me has a big influence on the trends that shape online shopping in New Zealand. They are also impacted by those external impacts – like a global pandemic – that impact all retailers.

David Swift, Trade Me’s Global Sales Manager, tells us how the events of 2020 impacted them and he looks ahead at what 2021 could bring.

woman shopping online

Online retail grows as cautious confidence returns

The first half of 2026 is showing us the early signs of a retail recovery. Online spending in the first half of 2026 was up 12% compared to the same period in 2025.
person shopping on their phone

Growth shifts, favouring local retailers in 2025

2025 was the year online shopping evolved from being the convenient alternative to becoming an integral part of how Kiwi shoppers buy every day.