2020 e-Commerce in Asia-Pacific

This week, Rakuten Advertising released its latest consumer insights report, The Road to Recovery: 2020 e-Commerce in Asia-Pacific.

This year, the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region alone will account for 63% of total e-commerce sales worldwide. Chinese consumers, making up the majority of APAC, will spend US$2.1 trillion online in 2020, an increase of 16%.

To help brands navigate through regional nuances and seamlessly integrate into the APAC market, Rakuten Advertising surveyed 5,000 consumers across Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. The Road to Recovery: 2020 e-Commerce in Asia-Pacific uncovers insights into consumer buying behaviour and preferences, accompanied with actionable strategies for driving success in this market.

Key findings include:

• 66% of consumers across APAC have made an online purchase from an international retailer this year
• Services such as food and grocery delivery, ‘buy online pick-up in-store’ and video-on-demand (VOD) saw a significant uplift in usage during the COVID-19 outbreak, and these habits are here to stay.
• On average, 3 out of 4 consumers agree that brands should offer benefits to frontline health workers. At the same time, 73% prefer retailers to include information on how they are responding to COVID-19 and communicate with compassion and empathy.
• 64% of APAC consumers discover new brands through online search, followed by paid social, and recommendations from friends and family. Influencers and bloggers also play an important role in the discovery of new products.

Consumers across APAC have shifted their shopping habits online to cater for life under lockdown, and these new behaviours are here to stay. As e-commerce continues to blur the lines between international borders, it’s more important than ever for brands to tailor their marketing strategy to each region and effectively reach consumers through the right channels.

To find out more about APAC consumers, download the report to uncover:

• How COVID-19 has impacted APAC consumers
• What APAC consumers have been purchasing
• What APAC consumers want from brands during the pandemic
• How APAC consumers discover new brands
• The preferred social platforms in different APAC markets
• APAC consumers’ perception of international brands
• Actionable strategies for major APAC markets

If you have any questions about the findings in our report or want to find out how Rakuten Advertising can help you reach APAC consumers, please contact us today.