Growing prospensity among Malaysian consumers to shop online

Malaysians are joining other South-East Asian consumers in a growing propensity to shop online, particularly for personal care items.

In a statement today, Nielsen said based on its Global Survey on The Future of Grocery, at least one third of the 518 respondents intended to buy items such as body wash, shampoo and conditioner online within the next six months.

Other top 10 grocery items which Malaysian consumers would purchase online in the next six months included laundry detergent, dish soap and hand or body lotion, it said.

It said 16% of the Malaysia consumers would remain vigilant with their online orders for home delivery or using online/mobile coupons for their online shopping (16%).

Nielsen said only 9% of Malaysian consumers were willing to use a virtual supermarket for their grocery shopping.

It said the survey also revealed the growth in modern retailing channels such as hypermarkets and supermarkets, putting open-air/wet markets at their expense.

“Malaysian consumers prefer the modern channel with only 18% keen to patronise open-air or wet markets when buying food and groceries in the next 12 months.

“A quarter of Malaysians feel that grocery shopping in the retail store is a fun way of spending time with one-self or the family where 24% find grocery shopping to be an enjoyable and engaging experience,” it said.

Nielsen’s executive director of client service in South-East Asia, North Asia and Pacific, Kaushal Upadhyay, said savvy retailers would look to provide digital strategy that included interaction at each point along the path to purchase.

“The connected commerce era has arrived where the most successful retailers and manufacturers will be at the intersection of the physical and virtual worlds, leveraging technology to satisfy shoppers however, wherever and whenever they want to shop,” he said.