KUALA LUMPUR (June 3): More than half of Malaysians actively use e-commerce platforms to shop and sell online , according to a new survey by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

In an e-Commerce Consumers Survey 2018 (ECS 2018) released by the MCMC today, it said 51.2% of Malaysians were recorded using e-commerce platforms over the past 12 months.

In a statement, MCMC said at the State level, Wilayah Persekutuan Putrajaya topped the list of e-commerce adoption at 70.5%, followed by Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan and Perlis at 60.5% and 44.5% respectively.

Gender wise, the survey found that females were more likely to conduct e-commerce activities (53.9%) compared to males (48.8%), with clothing and accessories being the most popular products purchased.

“Even though the percentage of men adopting e-commerce is lower compared to women, in terms of value men spent more than women in the last 12 months at an average of RM690, compared to RM450 for women.

“This finding can be largely attributed to the type of products purchased by men who tend to buy computer software and equipment, as well as automotive parts,” said MCMC.

In response to the question of why they choose to shop online, 84.4% of e-commerce users cited convenience and comfort to access various online shopping platforms at their own place and time being motivating factors for them to buy online.

Furthermore, MCMC noted that competitive pricing was also a main attraction for 73% of e-commerce consumers. This is encouraged by various strategies by online retailers to attract consumers, such as discount vouchers, festive sales, cash rebates, member privileges and others.

Various types of payment methods, such as online banking is another key reason why consumers shop online, it said. Among the preferred payment method of e-commerce consumers were e-Money facilities for instance Boost, WeChat Pay and Touch 'n Go eWallet.

In terms of logistics, the survey showed that the smartphone was the most popular device for consumers, of whom 78.3% used them to purchase goods and services online, particularly among those below 30 years old.

About 44% of respondents said they used social media to seek and validate product quality to avoid from being scammed by irresponsible parties.

The survey was held for three months from Aug 28 to Nov 27, 2018 through phone interviews. Respondents were randomly selected and reached a sample size of 5,348 people from all over the country.