Asia drives growth in online shopping

Marketers in the apparel industry have something to cheer about.According to the latest study by Nielsen, more than one-third of online consumers in Asia intend to purchase apparel, accessories, shoes and jewellery via a connected device, in the next three to six months.Coming close second is the travel sector with nearly 34% of those surveyed expressing interest in planning a trip online including making reservations and buying tickets.Purchase of computer and gaming software and books, newspapers and magazines came in third (32%).The study also said that Asian consumers have become increasingly research-savvy when it comes to buying products. Almost 64% of Asian consumers checked the prices and consumer reviews before purchasing and more than half, looked up information online. This is above the global average of 61%.Amongst consumers who engage in e-commerce activities, online Asian consumers were the most active globally with 86% conducting research online at least once a week compared to 84 % globally.Around 84% of Asian consumers also looked for coupons from online coupon sites at least once a week compared to 81 % globally."The burgeoning online marketplace is bringing about more sophisticated eCommerce strategies and online retailers must maintain an up-to-date understanding of online consumer behaviour in order to keep pace," said Anson Dichaves, managing director of Nielsen's Shopper Practice in Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa."Focusing on the shopper is the key to successful online retailing, and that means adopting a targeted, personalised approach supported by authentic messages," he added.The Nielsen Global Survey was conducted from 10 to 27 February 2012 and polled more than 28,000 online consumers in 56 countries.