So did items in the yoga/Pilates equipment, pet-related supplies and toys/gaming categories.
Online commerce has become a lifeblood for affected businesses and consumers in the current pandemic. With most countries still in a semi-lockdown/Circuit Breaker phase, e-commerce is gaining strong momentum.
Earlier, marketing and advertising tech company Criteo had analyzed the e-commerce trends around Ramadan over the previous years in Southeast Asia (SEA), which includes Indonesia and Malaysia, noting that sales uplift peaked during the third week for 2018 and 2019.
New weekly updates on the situation have been released, and summarized as follows for the week ending 3 May 2020:
- 52% of consumers in the APAC region are continuing to make more purchases online than usual.
- Retail sales in SE Asia saw a sales uplift at 103% for the week ending on 3 May compared to the same period last year.
- The following table shows the top product categories in SE Asia for the week ending on 3 May. The percentage numbers are sales uplift figures for the week ending 3 May compared to the average data seen in 1 to 28 January 2020.
| Pet Supplies | • Pet grooming supplies (264%) • Small animal supplies (243%) • Pet bowls, feeders and waterers (106%) |
| Clothing | • Shorts (170%) • Headwear (99%) |
| Cameras and Optics | • Web cams (565%) • Tripods and monopods (120%) |
| Electronics | • Laptops (147%) • Televisions (56%) |
| Food and Beverages | • Seasonings and spices (163%) • Condiments and sauces (139%) • Beverages (137%) • Baking – Ingredients (128%) |
| Home and Gardening | • Baking – Bakeware (67%)Plants (64%) • Home fragrance (60%) • Household supplies (59%) |
| Furniture | •Bean bag chairs (165%) • Furniture (126%) • Desks (115%) |
| Health and Beauty | • Oral care (118%) • Shaving and grooming (110%) • Deodorant and anti-perspirant (109%) • Cosmetics and makeup (82%) |
| Toys and Games | • Play vehicles (188%) • Jigsaw puzzles (179%) • Building toys (175%) • Activity toys (171%) |
| Software | • Video game software (51%) |
| Sporting Goods | • Yoga and Pilates Equipment (346%) • General exercise and fitness (144%) • Tennis (96%) |
During this extraordinary year, Criteo advises businesses to monitor category trends closely: they should focus on expanding segments such as home-based learning, remote-working, home fitness and entertainment.
“While creating campaigns is still feasible, it needs to be around products which are most relevant to consumers. Campaign calls-to-action should focus on inventory, last-mile delivery and experience. Engage the audience: explore interactive ad formats to engage with key shoppers as people spend more time at home and are looking to be entertained,” said Pauline Lemaire, Criteo’s Director of Account Strategy for Large Customers, SEA, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
