SINGAPORE, Nov. 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The trend of shopping online for Christmas appears to be on the rise in Asia, according to a new survey conducted by internet services company Rakuten.
The Rakuten Shopping Secrets survey 2015 found that 75% of shoppers are expected to buy more, or at least, the same number of Christmas gifts online this year compared to the previous year. In addition, nearly half (47%) of shoppers said they prefer to do their Christmas shopping online this year, due to convenience (83%), easier browsing and comparison of products (55%) and cost effectiveness from attractive rebates and loyalty programmes (41%).
The same shoppers reported an average increase of 20%, in terms of the amount spent online on Christmas shopping in 2014, versus the year before.
The Rakuten Shopping Secrets survey 2015 was conducted on more than 2,500 men and women aged 20 to 60 in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Taiwan.i This is the second year running that Rakuten, an internet services company that runs online shopping sites across Asia, Europe and the Americas, has commissioned it.
"Our survey found that in general, when shopping for a gift, shoppers look at price (33%) as the single biggest factor influencing their decision of what to buy, followed by the likeability of a gift by the recipient (26%) and practicality of the gift (25%). With this in mind, Rakuten has newly launched a 5% rebate on everything that you can find on our shopping site, every day, with no limit on the amount of rebates, through our Rakuten Super Point programme, across all our online shopping sites in Asia," said Masaya Ueno, Director, Rakuten Asia.
"This means that if shoppers buy anything on Rakuten in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand or Taiwan, they are given Rakuten Super Pointsii that are the equivalent of 5% of their purchase value. These points can be used like cash, to offset their next purchase. For example, if you spend US$30 -- which is the average amount Asians are spending on a Christmas gift -- each on 10 people, we will give you back $15 worth of Rakuten Super Points, which you can use to offset your next purchase. We believe our 5% rebate programme -- or the 5x Rakuten Super Points rebate as our loyal customers call it -- will come in very useful for people who are about to start their Christmas shopping."
Online shopping makes choosing the right gift (and avoiding the wrong one) easier
Besides attractive rebates and convenience, online shopping allows shoppers to easily browse and compare products before making a purchase. This comes in handy when trying to choose a right gift -- or avoid choosing a wrong gift -- for someone, because according to the Rakuten Shopping Secrets 2015 survey, people do remember the gift they receive -- for better or for worse.
The survey found that while 3 in 5 people remembered what they received for Christmas last year, a quarter of them received gifts that they disliked. These ill-received gifts ended up being re-gifted (38%), kept somewhere and forgotten about (33%), donated to charity (24%), or being sold off (13%).
Perhaps that is why 27% of Asians find Christmas a stressful occasion, with Singapore shoppers the most stressed (40%), well ahead of shoppers from Taiwan (32%), Malaysia (30%), Indonesia (18%) and Thailand (17%).
Partners and spouses: The biggest priority
The Rakuten Shopping Secrets 2015 survey also found that shoppers spent the longest time on Christmas gift-shopping for their partners and spouses -- 3.7 hours on average -- followed by themselves and their crushes (3.4 hours each). This exceeds the amount of time taken for their children (3 hours), mothers (3 hours) and fathers (2.9 hours). Pets are also feeling the love, with 2.3 hours spent on Christmas gift-shopping on average.
Correspondingly, the biggest amount spent on Christmas gifts is on partners and spouses (US$47.00), followed by gifts on themselves ($43.40).
Online shopping lives on even after Christmas is over
The online shopping spree is expected to continue even after Christmas. More than half (57%) of shoppers said they make it a point to shop in the one or two weeks leading up to the start of the New Year, with 48% preferring to do it online.
Said Mr Ueno, "The year-end season is usually the busiest time of the year for online retailers like us, with shoppers wanting to splurge due to great discounts (62%), liking to start a new year with new things (40%), or rewarding themselves after a year of hard work (33%). We will be preparing a catalogue of items that shoppers are most keen on for the year-end, and pricing them attractively, on top of our newly-launched 5x Rakuten Super Point-back programme -- which is equivalent to a 5% rebate on everything you can find on Rakuten, every day, with no limit on the amount of rebates."
The new 5x Rakuten Super Point-back programme is now available on the following sites: Singapore (www.rakuten.com.sg), Malaysia (www.rakuten.com.my), Indonesia (www.rakuten.co.id), Thailand (www.tarad.com) and Taiwan (www.rakuten.com.tw).
About Rakuten
Rakuten, Inc. (4755:Tokyo), is one of the world's leading Internet service companies, providing a variety of services for consumers and businesses, including in the areas of e-commerce, eReading, travel, banking, securities, credit cards, e-money, logistics, portal and media, online marketing and professional sports. Since 2012, Rakuten was ranked among the world's 'Top 10 Most Innovative Companies' in Forbes magazine's annual list. Rakuten is expanding worldwide and currently operates throughout Asia, Europe, the Americas and Oceania. Founded in 1997, Rakuten is headquartered in Tokyo, with over 10,000 employees and partner staff worldwide.
| i |
The Rakuten Shopping Secrets 2015 survey was commissioned by Rakuten and conducted by an external research agency. More than 2,500 men and women in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Taiwan (500 people per market, with an equal split between men and women) were surveyed using an online methodology in October 2015. The respondents were aged between 20 to 60. |
| ii |
The Rakuten Super Points programme is a loyalty programme which rewards members with points with every purchase. These points can be used like cash to offset their next purchase. Customers can sign up for free as a Rakuten member to enjoy the Rakuten Super Points programme. |
Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20151117/8521507827-a
Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20151117/8521507827-b
