So you have already picked out which top eCommerce marketplaces you want to buy from (and maybe do business with), learned how to get your parcels through customs clearance, and found out how crucial last-mile delivery is for your brand.

The holidays are fast approaching, and there’s no better way to welcome the season than with everyone’s favourite pastime: online shopping.

As the eCommerce revolution continues to sweep across Southeast Asia, brands and retailers are rushing to meet their customers where they prefer to do their shopping: on the Internet. Research by Google and Temasek shows that in 2017, Southeast Asia had 120 million people shopping on eCommerce sites—up from 50 million in 2015. 

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.