2018 was a watershed year for online shopping in Southeast Asia. According to Google and Temasek Southeast Asia's internet economy hit an inflection point last year, with the eCommerce sector generating US$23 billion in revenue—more than double the revenue in 2017. 

For consumers, buying a product online—and having that product shipped right to their doorsteps—has become routine. Everything is taken care of after just a few taps on their smartphone screen or laptop touchpad, and the transaction is done after a few days at most. Sometimes, even within a single day.

There’s no denying it: everyone’s shopping online. Data from Shopify shows that sales on global eCommerce platforms will go up to US$3.5 trillion this year. Meanwhile, 57.9% of shoppers in the Asia-Pacific region (which includes Southeast Asia) buy products from abroad, and our contribution to worldwide eCommerce will jump to US$1.4 trillion by 2023.