Smart way to shop

Source: Bangkok Post, ThailandJan.儲存倉 01--Global e-commerce service providers have put Thailand in the spotlight for business expansion thanks to the country's burgeoning online shopping demand.Mobile internet users totalled 36.4 million in 2013 out of a population of 70 million. Smartphone users in the country numbered 22 million.These high numbers are attracting global e-commerce players to the Thai market."Thailand has become a centre for online shopping growth in Southeast Asia," said Pawoot Pongvitayapanu, founder of Rakuten Tarad.com.But he warned that online shopping scams and fraud are risks, and delivery time needs improvement to sustain the industry's prosperity.The Electronic Transactions Development Agency under the Information and Communication Technology Ministry plans to spend 15 million baht setting up an e-commerce compliance centre in 2014 to help resolve transaction disputes and protect consumers.Mr Pawoot called 2013 a golden year for the country's e-commerce market, evidenced by solid growth and the entry of large operators and new players in the local retail market.The surge in mobile and social commerce stemmed from the proliferation of smart devices and the concurrent launch of full 3G wireless broadband.Mobile devices are fast becoming the new norm for communications, commerce and information gathering.Mr Pawoot expects local online shopping to grow by 30% in 2014, boosted heavily by mobile commerce. Rakuten Tarad.com will focus on building brand awareness and enhancing the online shopping experience, he said.Bram Clincke, co-chief executive of Groupon Thailand, the US-based daily deals website, said the e-commerce market in Thailand has bright prospects because Thais love to connect online.He cited a survey saying 51% of Thais have made purchases via mobile phone.Ryan Haugarth, chief executive of Ensogo, which provides social commerce websites specialising in local spas and restauran迷你倉最平s, said e-shopping is to outpace conventional retail in 2014 as more and more Thais embrace the age of the internet.Ensogo in July began letting customers use Apple's iOS to conduct online transactions. Some 10% of total transactions stemmed from mobile phones."We plan to launch an Android-based transaction platform in 2014 to increase the mobile transaction base," said Mr Haugarth, adding that transactions from mobile devices will account for more than half the total in 2014.Benjamin Thompson, vice-president for marketing at Zalora Thailand, an online fashion start-up, said the group expects e-commerce in Southeast Asia to account for 12% of Zalora's retail sales in 2020, up from less than 1% now, on rising middle-class incomes and robust economic growth.Thailand is Zalora's No.3 market in Southeast Asia in terms of revenue. Transactions from mobile phones are expected to account for 40% of local sales in 2014, up from 30% in 2013, said Mr Thompson.Lazada Thailand, an online shopping site, said in a release that the company recorded a 300% surge in sales value in 2013: "We're considering repositioning the Thai operating unit to become the regional headquarters instead of Singapore in order to capitalise on burgeoning market growth and the country's lower operating costs."Michael Araneta, head of operations at IDC Thailand, said e-commerce in Thailand could continuously grow by 20-50% a year.IDC forecasts local online business accounting for 17% of all retail transaction value by 2015, up from 15% in 2013.Southeast Asia is an attractive market for newcomers, said Mr Araneta, thanks to its potential "pillar of growth".But he noted that Thailand remains well behind other countries in the region such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Bangkok Post (Bangkok, Thailand) Visit the Bangkok Post (Bangkok, Thailand) at .bangkokpost.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉