Thailand 2nd in B2C e-commerce sales in SE Asia

The report titled 'Thailand B2C E-Commerce Market 2017' published by yStats.com says that Thailand is the second largest economy in Southeast Asia, behind Indonesia, and also ranks second in B2C e-commerce sales.

Although online shopper penetration is still in single-digits, a strong B2C e-commerce sales growth rate is expected in the coming years, allowing Thailand to maintain its position as the runner up in regional online retail sales.

Mobile and social commerce are the two most important e-commerce market trends in Thailand. Smartphones have become the gateway to internet connectivity, reaching nearly the same penetration rate as internet and leading among devices utilised to go online. Thailand is the regional leader in share of online shoppers making purchases via mobile.

M-commerce sales are projected to approach a 50 per cent share of total online spending within the next several years, yStats.com's report reveals. Furthermore, social media has emerged as the most important platform for online sellers in Thailand. With more than one-half of online shoppers making orders through social networks, thousands of e-commerce sellers maintain accounts on popular social media such as Facebook, Instagram and Line to transact with their customers.

Lazada, an e-commerce retailer and marketplace controlled by Alibaba Group, is the leading online shopping platform in Thailand, attracting three times more visits to its Thai website than the nearest two competitors combined. Other players attempt to challenge Lazada's leadership by increasing investments into their e-commerce operations.

The Central Group acquired online clothing retailer Zalora and planned expansion of omnichannel and logistics capabilities for 2017. Furthermore, South Korea-based 11street is a fast growing market player: since its launch in Thailand December 2016, the company has already registered thousands of sellers and more than a hundred thousand buyers on its platform by early 2017, according to information cited by yStats.com. (KD)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India