In this infographic we unpack the paradoxes shaping today’s consumer landscape. In an era of complexity, people want convenience and connection, global reach and local trust, privacy and publicity, all at once. For business leaders, marketing teams and those looking to engage with their audience and stay relevant. These seven paradoxes define modern buying behaviour and will help you understand customers better, and future-proof your organisation.

1. CARD PURCHASES BECOME THE DEFAULT4
ONLINE MARKETPLACES EXPERIENCE RAPID GROWTH
PLATFORMS EVOLVE FROM CONNECTION TO COMMERCE
ON DEMAND ACCESS
ECONOMICS
DEMOGRAPHICS6
the consumer
landscape
then and now
20 YEARS OF CHANGE
2005 — 2025
2005 2025
Amazon revenue
(USD) $8.5B1
$670B2
Social media
Facebook opens to the public
the following year, 2006
74% of Gen Zs and
Millennials shop and browse
products via social media,
mainly on Instagram,
Facebook and TikTok.3
Music streaming
Spotify did not yet exist,
launches in 2008
696M
Total Monthly Active Users5
Youngest generation
Gen Z
Age 15-29 today
Gen Beta
Age 0
National population 20.1M 27.7M
Life expectancy
at birth 80.9 83.1
Population aged 65+
(%) 13% 17%
Population aged 65+
(number) 2.6M 4.7M
Proportion aged
25-34 with uni degree
(2006 vs 2021)
26% 40%
Annual GDP
growth rate6 3.2% 1.3%
Interest rates7
(standard variable) 7.3% 5.5%
Average adult full-
time annual earnings6 $58,400 $106,000
Median Sydney
house price8 $518,000 $1,497,000
Ratio of house price
to annual earnings 8.9x 14.1x
REFERENCES
1 Amazon annual report, 2005
2 Amazon Q2 2025 Financial Results - Net Sales (TTM)
3 Australia Post eCommerce Report, 2025
4 Reserve Bank of Australia, Consumer Payments Explorer, 2022
5 Spotify, Q2 2025 Update
6 ABS
7 RBA
8 Domain
For more resources go to:
mccrindle.com
+61 2 8824 3422
info@mccrindle.com
2005 2025
2007 vs. 2022
Cash 69% 13%
Card 26% 77%
NEW
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