Designing for the way Australians shop
When you're standing in a supermarket aisle, it's easy to imagine shoppers comparing products side by side: cereal with cereal, cleanser with cleanser. But that’s rarely how real people shop. Their decisions are shaped by everything they've seen, felt, or experienced that day – the app they scrolled through at breakfast, the podcast they heard on the school run, the reusable coffee cup in their hand. Consumers today are not shopping by aisle but rather by instinct, emotion, and experience.
It starts with understanding trends and cultural shifts that move across borders and industries. Globally, we’re seeing health and wellness evolve into something more holistic. It’s not just about clean ingredients anymore but about mental clarity, emotional wellbeing, sleep quality, and hormone balance. Consumers are applying this mindset to everything from kombucha to shampoo. Aussie shoppers are turning the pack around, reading the fine print, and looking for brands that talk straight. It’s not just about what’s in the product, but how clearly and honestly that story is told.
This leads me to sustainability which is shaping purchase decisions worldwide (I have another blog post on this here). European regulations are pushing innovation in packaging, with refillable formats and compostable materials becoming more mainstream. Australian consumers, too, are becoming more vocal and discerning. We’re seeing a shift from “greenwashing” to genuine transparency, therefore brands need to back their sustainability claims with real impact, and that story needs to be told clearly through the packaging.
Consumers in cities like Tokyo and New York are used to high-speed, intuitive design and that influence has trickled into the Australian market. Packaging needs to be user-friendly, instantly understandable, and designed with efficiency in mind. This has been driven by the rise of self-checkouts, click-and-collect services, and meal delivery platforms which have normalised fast, frictionless interactions.
Designing for cultural relevance means zooming out. It means asking bigger questions. How are people living today? What values are influencing their choices at the shelf? What expectations have been set by the brands they admire?
And if we zoom in closer to home, the Australian retail landscape comes with its own nuances. Shoppers here are loyal to their supermarkets but are also increasingly price-sensitive. Private label products take up more space than ever, and challenger brands must work twice as hard to visually disrupt a shelf where sameness is the norm.
Designing for Australians means understanding that we're a nation of savvy, practical shoppers who are quick to spot fluff but deeply loyal to brands that feel like they “get us.”
If you’re wondering how your brand can better connect with the way Australians actually shop, get in contact to learn more.
