Smartphones and tablet computers are expected to boost online retail sales in the Asia-Pacific region to more than US$400 billion a year by 2018, a report said yesterday.
As a result, retailers are increasingly adapting their Web sites to capitalize on the trend, allowing customers to browse and purchase goods with their mobile devices, global consumer research firm Euromonitor said.
Euromonitor data showed that the number of smartphones in the Asia-Pacific region is forecast to rise to nearly 700 million in 2017, up from almost 390 million last year.
The number of tablets and other portable computers is also expected to increase to more than 56 million in 2017 from almost 30 million last year.
At last year’s foreign-exchange rates and prices, the value of goods sold through the Internet in the region should reach more than US$428 billion in 2018, more than double the US$186 billion of goods sold last year, Euromonitor added.
Internet retail sales are expected to account for 7.3 percent of the overall retail industry in the region in 2018, up from 4.1 percent last year.
Loo Wee Teck (羅偉泰), head of consumer electronics at Euromonitor, cited a survey by the firm showing that nearly a quarter of respondents in the region are now using mobile phones to buy products.
“Retailers are acutely aware of this trend and most have optimized their Web sites for mobile browsing. The ease of online purchases and the ability to shop 24/7 are key factors in driving Internet retailing on mobile devices,” Loo said.
He said retailers in emerging markets such as China, Malaysia and Thailand also accept cash-on-delivery for products purchased on the Internet through mobile devices in order to ease consumers’ concerns over online fraud.
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