What’s shaping consumer demand this Ramadan?

Shoppers across Southeast Asia are taking longer than ever to complete purchases during Ramadan, with some journeys stretching beyond 50 days, according to new insights from Criteo.

The global commerce platform found that for purchases made in the final two weeks of Ramadan 2025, the average time between a shopper’s first product visit and completed purchase was 19 days. The shift signals that brands need to influence consumers earlier in the decision-making process, particularly as Chinese New Year and Ramadan are set to fall in the same week in 2026.

Retail sales across the region also rose 13% year-on-year during Ramadan 2025, highlighting the growing commercial importance of the holy month. Shopping is no longer confined to the final days before Eid. While consumers begin researching products weeks in advance, conversion remains concentrated closer to the peak festive period.

Sourcing: Criteo Commerce Data - Time between a first visit to a product description page and sales completed during the last two weeks of Ramadan 2025. ID, MY, SG.

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In Indonesia, retail sales in the final two weeks of Ramadan surged 35%, peaking at 57% on 16 March 2025. Malaysia saw sales rise 26%, reaching a high of 52% on 23 March 2025. Singapore recorded steadier patterns, reflecting a more diversified retail calendar and consumer base.

What's shaping the demand?

According to the report, daily and cultural rhythms influence shopping behaviour. While afternoons still generate the highest overall sales, the biggest Ramadan-driven uplift versus pre-Ramadan occurred during 'Suhoor' ('pre-dawn meal'). In Indonesia, activity peaked between 3am and 5am, while in Malaysia it occurred between 4am and 7am. For marketers, this means timing campaigns around culturally relevant moments can significantly improve engagement and relevance.

In addition, spending patterns during Ramadan 2025 mirrored cultural priorities. Religious and ceremonial products saw the strongest growth at 54%, followed by apparel and accessories at 18%. Increases were also seen across home and garden, furniture, and food and beverage categories, suggesting that consumers were making broader festive purchases rather than single-item transactions.

Source: Criteo Commerce Data - Indexed sales compared to average in Feb 1-14, 2025. All site types. SEA

Looking ahead, marketers need to treat Ramadan as a multi-stage season, building awareness and consideration early before shifting toward conversion and urgency as peak moments approach. With Chinese New Year and Ramadan coinciding this year, marketers will need to prepare for a more compressed festive calendar, requiring agile budgets, inventory and activation strategies.

Aligning campaigns with daily cultural rhythms will be key to boost relevance, while staying present across touchpoints is essential to address non-linear purchase journeys. Dynamic, data-led optimisation and automation can also help brands anticipate peaks and emerging intent signals, keeping campaigns relevant in a more crowded and competitive festive landscape.

The study’s findings echoed trends from Ramadan 2024. Criteo’s 2025 report showed that during Ramadan 2024, Muslim consumers spent heavily on religious and ceremonial items, apparel, and accessories, while food, beverages, and home products also saw strong demand. Consumers were also planning Eid travel, driving a 29% increase in bookings across the region.

Similarly, shopping activity typically began nearly 20 days before purchase, with pre-dawn hours seeing peak engagement, particularly in Indonesia and Malaysia. While Malaysia and Singapore experienced notable retail growth, Indonesia recorded an 11% decline in online sales, highlighting shifting consumer preferences in the market.

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