Pandemic driving South-East Asian shoppers online

Annabeth Leow

Published Thu, Aug 6, 2020 · 09:50 PM

Singapore

NEARLY eight in 10 people in Singapore will make an online purchase this year, as the novel coronavirus drives South-east Asian consumers online faster than earlier expected.

Singaporeans are also the most willing to splash out: Almost six in 10 shoppers drop at least US$50 on each online purchase - the biggest share of such "high spenders" in the region.

Regionally, some 310 million consumers in six key markets are tipped to shop online this year - which puts the level of e-commerce activity on track to breach previous five-year estimates in just one year, said an industry study released on Thursday.

Online spending across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam is now expected to be worth US$147 bi…