Online shopping is booming, with 74% of Singaporean consumers shopping online more frequently

Recently, Visa released its Consumer Payment Attitudes Study, which showed that 74 % of Singaporean consumers shop online more frequently, while 52% of consumers surveyed shop less frequently in physical stores.

The study also showed that 71% of respondents have started to use home delivery services frequently, and 25% of respondents have started to try home delivery services for the first time.

Meanwhile, about one-third of Singaporeans ( 31%) made their first online purchase, meaning through a website or mobile app, during the COVID-19 outbreak .

Visa said in a statement that given the nationwide lockdown , safe distancing measures and concerns about personal safety , consumers have formed new shopping habits, and the trend of shifting from offline shopping to online has become more obvious.

The study also found that after the epidemic is over, almost half of the respondents prefer to shop on large e-commerce platforms , while nearly a third of consumers prefer to shop from local supermarkets ( 31%) .

Kunal Chatterjee, Visa country manager for Singapore and Brunei , said: “We have noticed growing consumer demand for digital-first experiences as more Singaporeans turn to safer , more convenient and intuitive shopping experiences powered by innovation and technology .

In the special year of 2020, consumers have changed the way they shop and pay. Even if vaccines become more popular in the future, people have changed the way they shop and pay since the outbreak of the new coronavirus pandemic. Even if vaccines become more popular, these shopping trends may continue.

Data also shows that the usage of other digital shopping channels in Singapore is also increasing , with nearly half ( 49%) of customers shopping more frequently through nearby stores , although only 25% of consumers have had their orders delivered directly to their homes after ordering over the phone during the pandemic .

Meanwhile, 41% of Singaporeans shop more frequently through social media channels, with one in five consumers being first-time social media shoppers.

According to the study, many consumers have delayed or reduced spending on international travel ( 67%) , out-of-home entertainment ( 63%), luxury goods (59%) and fine dining (57%).

Cross-border e-commerce market

Southeast Asia