CReATION: Asian Web shoppers to spend 80% more

A survey by IDC has found Asian Internet users will be spending 80 per cent more online in the next 12 months, bringing a long-awaited boost to ecommerce in the region. However, according to IDC, these opportunities will only be profitable to sellers that understand the preferences, and more importantly differences, of Asia's Internet users and Web buyers. "Asia's surging base of Internet users and ecommerce revenue will present lucrative opportunities to Web sellers that understand the Asian Internet economy and its diversity," said Mr Dane Anderson, vice-president of Internet research at IDC Asia-Pacific. "However, companies that do not understand the complexities, uniqueness and limitations of Asia's Web buyer population and its components will travel a rocky road. The surest path to failure is a strategy based solely on lessons learned in more developed markets." According to the survey, Asian Web users will be looking to buy books, CDs, computer hardware and software in 2001. These products were also hot selling items this year. Further, the study found Internet users in Asia were more likely to spend huge amounts of money online once they actually began to spend. Web buyers spent an average of USdollars 800 online in the past 12 months, and according to the survey, plan to increase their spending to USdollars 1,450 in the coming year. Korea led the region in terms of online spending, followed by Taiwan and Australia/New Zealand. Unlike the US, Internet usage in Asia is skewed towards a few key demographic segments. The survey found the typical Internet user in Asia was aged between 19 and 34, representing 80 per cent of Internet users. Further, 76 per cent of users were male with a household income of less than USdollars 15,000 per year. The major concerns of Asian online shoppers were credit card security, fears of dealing with disreputable sellers, the touch and feel preference, and a lack of discretionary income. The survey also confirmed Asia's strong preference for local language websites, particularly in the pivotal markets of Korea, China and Taiwan. The report was conducted in August and September this year, and surveyed 40,000 Asian Internet users in more than 10 markets across Asia-Pacific.

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