This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on June 4, 2019

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

According to the “e-Commerce Consumers Survey 2018” (ECS 2018) released by the MCMC yesterday, 51.2% of Malaysians have used e-commerce platforms in the past 12 months.

In a statement, the 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.

The survey also found females are more likely to conduct e-commerce activities (53.9%) compared with males (48.8%), with clothing and accessories the most popular products purchased.

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

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

On why they choose to shop online, 84.4% of e-commerce users cited convenience and comfort in accessing online platforms at their own places and time.

Further, the MCMC noted competitive pricing is also a main attraction for 73% of e-commerce consumers, encouraged by online retailers’ strategies such as discount vouchers, festive sales, cash rebates and member privileges, among others.

Various payment methods such as online banking are another key reason for consumers to shop online, it said, and their preferences include e-money facilities, for instance Boost, WeChat Pay and Touch ‘n Go e-wallet.

On logistics, the survey said smartphones are the most popular devices used by consumers, with 78.3% of them using smartphones to purchase goods and services online, particularly among those below 30 years old.

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

The survey was held from Aug 28 to Nov 27, 2018 via telephone interviews, with respondents randomly selected and reached to a sample size of 5,348 nationwide.