New Survey Shows Almost 40% of S’poreans Find Shopping Online Not As Shiok

Besides dining outside and guzzling bubble tea, shopping is the one thing Singaporeans cannot live without.

So, when e-commerce platforms sprouted all over the internet, we couldn’t believe our luck.

You mean I can order that Hello Kitty bedsheet, wallpaper, and towel while I lie down in bed eating fried chicken? Is this the real life?

Though we didn’t need any more motivation, the Covid-19 pandemic has compelled us to do most of our shopping online, which is good news for the e-commerce platforms.

You’d think that Singaporeans would be happy with this arrangement, but that may not be the case.

New Survey Shows Almost 40% of S’poreans Find Shopping Online Not As Shiok

4 in 10 Singaporeans are not satisfied with their online shopping experience, according to a survey conducted by market research consultancy Blackbox and survey firm Toluna.

4,780 consumers across Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam were polled, and their feelings, expectations, and behaviours analysed.

The study was carried out in order to examine the impact of digital commerce, and how these companies can build long-term trust with their users, according to TODAY.

So far, however, it’s not been great.

Findings

39% of the Singaporeans polled said they were less than satisfied with their experience on these e-commerce platforms, citing high delivery costs, product prices, and long delivery times.

Two sites that were rated poorly in terms of consumer satisfaction were Qoo10 and Lazada; 41% were not satisfied when shopping on Qoo10, and 39% of Lazada shopper had similar sentiments.

Reader: Does this mean that we actually prefer expending effort to go outside and shop in physical stores?

Good one, dear reader. I think we’re just angry that our Hello Kitty bedsheet came a day late.

Since these platforms have surged in popularity during the coronavirus outbreak, they will enjoy higher sales, but they will also come under greater scrutiny.

Mr Yashan Cama, international commercial director of Blackbox Research, said these e-commerce companies could crumble if they do not address their customers’ concerns.

“We expect some of these cornerstone brands to experience a shake-up in the coming months if these existing problems are not quickly addressed. Consumers will only become more discerning in future.”

“With 5G technology on the verge of transforming platform capabilities, current market leaders may wake to find themselves no longer at the front of that queue if they don’t address concerns and work to deliver a more frictionless experience,” he said.

Consumers Supporting Homegrown Brands

With the pandemic taking a toll on the nation’s economy, consumers are now more willing to turn to homegrown brands for their purchases.

According to TODAY, 78% of consumers here said that they were more likely to support local brands in the future.

Customers were also highly satisfied with their shopping experiences at domestic brands such as NTUC FairPrice and Sheng Siong, though this must only be after the whole nation stopped panic buying toilet paper.

The poll also determined respondents’ top five “virtuous” companies, based on how they reacted during the Covid-19 crisis, and whether they made an effort to help their consumers and the larger community.

For this, Singaporeans listed FairPrice, Sheng Siong, DBS bank, McDonald’s, and Zoom.

If you’re surprised that we listed McDonald’s as one of the most “virtuous” companies here, you’ve probably never tried their temporary menu items (chocolate pie, anyone?).

I’m just shocked that a bubble tea store wasn’t on the list.

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