Around 3 in 5 APAC consumers prefer shopping online

Free delivery, and coupons and discounts were amongst the top purchase drivers.

A report by GWI found that around 63% of consumers in Asia Pacific would rather shop online rather than in-store, with younger consumers or millennials most likely to purchase virtually.

Baby boomers, meanwhile, have the highest preferences for in-store shopping at 49%.

GWI said around 38% of consumers in APAC highlight the importance of free delivery when shopping online. It is followed by coupons and discounts (29%), reviews from other customers (24%), next-day delivery (22%), and quick/easy online checkout process (21%).

The report noted that next-day delivery, in particular, gained significant traction amongst the consumers in the region as it rose to the fourth top online purchase driver from seventh place.

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Meanwhile, around 14% of luxury clothing buyers in the region are more likely than the average consumer to catch u with the latest tech news or trends and 11% are more likely to find chatbots as helpful.

“Online retailers are already embracing generative AI to create 3D apparel images and ChatGPT plugins to help with queries. During peak periods, AI-powered recommendations and time-sensitive messaging are helping to boost conversion and faster checkout,” GWI said.

For in-stores, it cited fashion retailer Zara which rolled out AI robots to pick products from stock rooms, effectively reducing queues and accelerating collection.