State Of Online Shopping In Malaysia And Singapore

The boom of the '90s was a golden era for the futuristic predictions particularly during the dot-com. It was hoped that the brick and mortar stores will be obsolete in another 15-20 years. In other words, it was expected that consumers will shop in the comfort of your room without having to leave their homes or pajamas. Well, we're almost at the head of 15 years and I presume that the state that Malaysians and Singaporeans today. Yes, you are right. We are still waiting in long corridors of our supermarkets.

Online shopping has had a stronghold in western countries and will continue to grow. On the other hand, Malaysia and Singapore are far behind Western countries, including other Asian countries like Japan, Korea and Hong Kong. What are the problems?

Several reasons can be attributed to this sorry state, including the lack of shopping experience, privacy, security of credit card and other issues normally reported to the lack of growth in online shopping. But there are other reasons which are unique to Malaysia and Singapore.

1. Shopping is a national pastime: Malaysia and most importantly, Singaporeans love to shop. With restaurants, shops ranks high on your list of favorite leisure activities. But on the other hand, the lack of scope of online shopping for any social interaction.
2. Inability of the negotiation: Asians love any negotiation. For many Malaysians and Singaporeans, the purchase is complete without negotiation. The buyers here every effort to convince the owner to lower the price. Many people believe that the buy-out if only they were able to buy products at prices below the advertised price. But it is not possible for consumers to bargain shopping online.
3. Inability to feel the product: The average Asian countries want to touch and feel of most products before you buy. This is because consumers do not trust what's in the box. Many people want to have it open and found, just in front of your eyes. But this is not possible to buy online.
4. Submission Deadline: Web stores in Singapore and Malaysia do not usually reflect the current stock position of a product. More than once people comes after a week or two. However, visitors will find just after the end of your payment. This is one of the many reasons why buyers in Malaysia and Singapore are wary of ordering products online.

While many of these blocks identified, but the future is very bleak as it seems. Here are some key indicators.

1. In recent years, experienced rapid growth in the number of online shops.
2. Many brick and mortar stores now have a web presence.
3. There is a general increase in the number of online buyers.
4. The buyers today rely on the Internet to research products with their purchasing decisions.
5. In the last year or two, a few price comparison sites have emerged. This indicates that online shopping in Malaysia and Singapore matures.
6. Internet and broadband connections in Malaysia and Singapore are witnessing a steady growth over the past two years.

Because these indicators suggest, online shopping in Malaysia and Singapore is preparing to grow at very healthy in the coming days. But to reach the levels of other mature markets, online retailers must be proactive and take all necessary measures to allay the fears of online shoppers.