Moreover, they make online orders from their PC, pay with credit cards and prefer fast delivery, according to the “Shop the World” survey, issued by the logistics company DHL. The survey also predicts that the global distance selling sector will grow by more than 10% per annum by 2020.
In Asia Pacific, ecommerce has been spurred by increased internet access, by traditional retailers and start-ups embracing the opportunities of offering their goods online in shops and marketplaces, and by an ever expanding middle class in emerging markets. It resulted in market developments as Japan, South Korea, Australia, India and China, which saw growth rates ranging between 5% and 42% in 2013.
More than 90% of people having online access in China, Japan and South Korea are distance selling customers. They are predominantly young, highly educated and from urban areas.
Consumer electronics, books, clothing and apparel and food are the online products most purchased in Asia Pacific. In terms of payment methods, credit cards are the favorite payment method in Japan and South Korea and online shoppers prefer to pay by online payment systems in China and Australia. Cash-on-delivery is widely used in India.
Ecommerce customers also demand free home delivery, specifically in Japan and India. The computer is the number one ordering channel, followed by mobile devices with China, South Korea and Australia having the highest shares in m-commerce.
British and German consumers use distance selling the most (94%) while consumers in India or Mexico are more reluctant to order from home and online. European consumers also place more orders per year (29 in UK, 18 in Germany) than their counterparts in emerging markets (9 in India or 6 in Brazil).
The survey has been carried out on more than 11,000 people in 20 countries worldwide, and every country is represented by 5% of the sample size.
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