“Indonesia B2C E-Commerce Market 2018” is the title of a new publication from Germany-based secondary market research firm yStats.com. The report unveils the growth potential of the online retail market in Indonesia, citing a prediction that it will expand the fastest among six Southeast Asian nations through 2021. The publication also contains key market data, trends and consumer preferences in this emerging market.
B2C E-Commerce in Indonesia is growing at high double-digits rates which exceed those in the neighboring Southeast Asian nations. According to projections cited in the report by yStats.com, Indonesia is expected to be the top country in Southeast Asia by online retail sales in 2021 and also rank among the key emerging retail E-Commerce markets globally by 2025. The country’s growing middle class amidst the 260-million population and rising Internet penetration rates contribute to this robust growth.
M-Commerce is the key online retail trend in Indonesia, with mobile accounting for almost three-quarters of overall Internet traffic, as of early 2018. Most unique visitors to the country’s leading online shopping sites such as Lazada, Blibli and Tokopedia come from mobile devices, although the conversion rates on mobile are still lower than on desktop. Another important characteristic of Indonesia’s B2C E-Commerce market highlighted in the yStats.com report is the importance of social media, such as Facebook and Instagram, as a source of inspiration for digital purchases and also as a platform to place orders with online sellers. Clothes and footwear rank as the top product categories transacted through social networks.
At the same time, several major challenges to future E-Commerce growth exist. Indonesia’s archipelago geography complicates the delivery process, while low bank account penetration rates and preference for cash necessitate the acceptance of alternative payment methods by online merchants. Furthermore, Internet penetration in Indonesia is still low, according to statistics cited in yStats.com’s publication, and only about one in three Internet users make purchases online. Nevertheless, the growth expectations are high, attracting large investments into Indonesia’s E-Commerce sector.
