Malaysians’ online shopping spree

A study by Kantar TNS, called ‘Connected Life study’ has revealed mobile to be the key medium of online purchase for over half (51%) of Malaysians with access to the internet.

They made their most recent online purchase on mobile with a growing ecommerce penetration marking Malaysian market.

According to the study,  55% of the population made an online purchase, an increase of 8% YOY and food delivery services were driving uptake of new purchasing habits.

This study reaffirms the direction online business in Malaysia taking to, in a multi-fragmented and diverse ecommerce market, as consumers become more trusting of the online shopping environment.

Talking about the Study, MC Lai, Managing Director, Malaysia, Kantar TNS said, ”Malaysians take great pleasure in online shopping at marketplaces that allow third-party vendors to sell on them, such as Lazada and 11street. The ease and convenience of online shopping today means that many Malaysians who shop online are using their phones to an increasing extent.

“The fastest growing categories for ecommerce in Malaysia across all devices are automotive, tobacco and media services. The food and drink category is another key driver of m-commerce habits.

The Study also revealed online purchases taking place beyond the traditional categories – with apps like Carousell and Mudah that facilitate C2C exchanges, to fast food apps like UberEATS that are normalising online payments.

The results of the study showed that it is emerging markets in Southeast Asia who are leading the way when it comes to m-commerce.

Ahead of Malaysia, the majority of people with internet connections in markets such as Indonesia (93%), Thailand (93%), and Vietnam (86%), are using their mobiles to make purchases as they leapfrog more traditional forms of online shopping and go straight to their phones.

These countries are even more mobile-centric than China, where 83% of connected consumers use their mobiles for purchases.

‘TNS expects that the recent launch of mobile wallets such as MaybankPay and Alipay will continue to accelerate mobile commerce adoption in Malaysia,’ a TNS spokesperson added.