I Want It Now! The Two-Hour Economy Redefining Retail

By The Malketeer

VML’s Future Shopper 2025 shows APAC consumers demanding instant delivery, seamless journeys and genuine personalisation

Shoppers in Asia-Pacific are no longer patiently clicking through clunky checkouts.

VML’s latest Future Shopper 2025 report shows they’ve raced ahead – and too many brands are still stuck on the starting line.

Across 16 countries and 25,000 respondents, the ninth annual study lays out a sobering picture: 45 per cent of people regularly abandon their online basket because the digital experience is too frustrating.

Half believe brands don’t even know what customers want from their channels.

In APAC, home to some of the world’s most digitally savvy consumers, those numbers should ring alarm bells.

The Two-Hour Economy

Speed now defines loyalty.

One-third of shoppers expect delivery within two hours.

Forty per cent will simply walk away if same-day or scheduled delivery isn’t on offer.

And 58 per cent want to jump from inspiration to purchase as fast as possible – a behaviour VML has dubbed “compressed commerce.”

Neil Dawson, VML’s global chief strategy officer, frames it bluntly: “Every purchase is a considered purchase. Consumers are demanding reassurance – on price, on speed, on trust – before they commit.”

AI Everywhere, Trust Still Scarce

If 2023 was the year of AI hype, 2025 is the year of AI shopping.

• 68 per cent of consumers have already used tools like ChatGPT to shop.
• 52 per cent are excited about having their own AI agent to buy on their behalf.
• 63 per cent say personalisation helps them discover new products – yet 45 per cent think brands do a poor job of it.

This is not the gentle curve of adoption marketers are used to.

It’s a leapfrog moment.

APAC shoppers are embracing AI-powered tools faster than brands can redesign their customer journeys.

Marketplaces Lose Ground, Omnichannel Gains

Marketplaces still dominate at every stage of the journey – but their share of wallet is slipping, down from 29 per cent to 22 per cent.

Search engines are resurging in the discovery phase, fuelled by AI integration.

Consumers are piecing together their own omnichannel paths while brands scramble to keep up.

Nick Pan, VML APAC’s chief commerce and connections officer, warns: “Expectations are rising just as quickly as adoption. People want faster delivery, smarter recommendations, and a truly omnichannel experience that fits their lifestyles.”

Lessons for Marketers

• Fix the Basics First. Shiny AI features won’t save a slow, confusing checkout.
• Design for Trust. Price transparency, real-time stock updates and predictable delivery are no longer nice-to-haves.
• Personalise with Purpose. Recommendations must feel genuinely helpful, not creepy or random.
• Rethink Fulfilment. The two-hour economy isn’t a fringe demand; it’s becoming mainstream.
• Build the Future While Serving Today. Customers expect excellence now and innovation tomorrow – simultaneously.

Jeff Gehab, global CEO of VML Enterprise Solutions, sums it up: “Neither the customer journey of the future, nor the consumer of the future, will be the same as today. Brands must offer the best experience right now, while building the experience of the future in parallel.”

For Malaysian marketers, the message is even sharper.

Our region’s shoppers are setting the pace for the world.

Those who keep up – by relentlessly focusing on customer experience, harnessing AI for real value and building trust at every stage – will win.

Those who don’t risk being left behind, one abandoned cart at a time.