Malaysians go social shopping

Owner of Malaysian marketplace Rakuten Online Shopping and Japan’s top e-commerce company, Rakuten released insights by their E-commerce Index an independent global survey into shopping trends, recently.

Malaysia, for the first time, was included in the survey which exposed the importance of social shopping in the market.

According to the survey, 67 per cent of Malaysian would recommend a product via a social media channel.

The data claims most Malaysian shoppers fancy sharing their purchases on some of the social media platforms – Facebook, Twitter or the Instagram.

By doing so, in a way shoppers are promoting and allowing their friends and family to get a glimpse of their purchases and their preference for a particular product or brand.

Rakuten Online Shopping, President and Chief Executive Officer, Masaya Ueno said the findings show that Malaysia is riding on the social shopping wave, which is consistent with trends the company is witnessing worldwide.

Ueno also said, “There is a definite increase in users taking their shopping online in the past two years and we expect this to continue rising at a steady pace, especially with the proliferation of linking social networks to e-commerce sites. It signals the need for online shopping to integrate features that allow users to easily share their purchases on social channels in order to improve their overall experience in line with their demands and behaviours.”

The survey also indicates a majority of 85 per cent Malaysians prefer the computer or the PC over their smart phone or tablet for searching, viewing and purchasing purposes.

However, 35 per cent Malaysian shoppers still prefer the old school in-store purchases compared to the online shopping, while the remaining confessed their decision depends on the situation.

As the number of Malaysian embracing online shopping increase, the data shows many are still cautious about using mobile devices to complete their purchases.

Ueno said retailers need to ensure their presence is prominently visible in both online and offline, which will help capture customers and broaden sales opportunities across multiple channels in this era of commerce.

“Whether online, on mobile, or in-store, consumers are coming to expect a uniform brand experience across all available channels. It’s no longer enough for retailers to merely have a website that complements the brick-and-mortar presence, but they must provide shoppers all the information they require through their website or mobile shop fronts,” Ueno added.

The research also found that the average online spend across the markets surveyed was USD 725 (RM 2263) per person over 2012 and Malaysia’s average online spend of USD 344 (RM 1074) per person.