Majority of shoppers in Southeast Asia, which includes the Philippines, look to online marketplaces to fulfill their shopping needs, highlighting the latest consumer trend in a part of the globe where e-commerce continues to thrive.
A study by multinational e-commerce company Lazada found that 57 percent of shoppers in the region look for products directly on online platforms, establishing these virtual marketplaces as the new search engine of choice for buyers today.
“E-commerce marketplaces like Lazada have surpassed social media and search engines to become the discovery channel of choice. The behavior and mindset change during the past two years have driven more high-quality consumers who are looking for high-quality authentic products and high-quality experiences,” Lazada Group CEO James Dong said in a statement on Thursday.
The e-commerce giant said that this shift from commonly-used search engines highlights the importance of e-commerce marketing solutions as well as the digitalization of businesses to remain resilient and relevant today.
From 2019 to 2021, Lazada said that e-commerce had “tremendous growth” driven by the behavior adaptation of shoppers during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
Lazada group’s chief business officer James Chang said they remain confident that this growth will be sustained in a postpandemic world, noting that 8 out of 10 shoppers continue to shop online for ease and convenience.