New platforms of online shopping
The widespread usage of smartphones along with mobile internet has accelerated the penetration rate of m-commerce in the Asia-Pacific region. Beyond the devices e-commerce takes place on, online shopping has long exceeded the limits of a website and has taken many new shapes and forms. Social media has become a popular medium for online shopping not only in the Asia-Pacific region but worldwide. Social commerce sales are predicted to skyrocket worldwide. There are just south of 800 million social commerce shoppers in China alone, and more than half of consumers in Southeast Asia are interested in using social commerce. Live commerce is another new form of e-commerce that is picking up popularity in some Asia-Pacific countries even though some markets like Taiwan and Japan may be more resistant to this platform yet.Consumer preferences and decisions
The COVID-19 pandemic was inarguably the main cause for new digital consumers in Southeast Asia and other parts of the Asia-Pacific region in the last couple of years. As consumers get accustomed to online shopping, the preference to shop in physical stores has declined. While most customers prefer to mix both online and offline shopping, a considerable share of consumers in Vietnam and South Korea now prefer to shop online only.Influences on shopping decisions can vary largely across countries depending on cultural and socio-economic factors. According to a study, social media influencers affect a significant share of consumers in China, and family members influence consumers in Indonesia and Thailand the most. On the other hand, Japanese and Australian customers were most independent, with a considerable share stating to be influenced by no one.
