More and more Hong Kong online shoppers are now using their mobile phones to buy online – especially during holiday periods.
According to a survey by Zogby Analytics commissioned by TransUnion, more than one in four Hongkongers (25.5 per cent) shopped online via their mobile phones in the past six months. Even so, the majority indicated that they are concerned about security and identity theft.
The online survey of 500 adults, revealed that two in three Hongkongers have shopped online more than three times in the past six months, including 20.9 per cent who have shopped more than 10 times. While the far majority (76.8 per cent) still preferred to make online purchases from a PC or laptop, 42.6 per cent also used other devices, including mobile phones (25.5 per cent) and tablets (17.1 per cent).  Most of them (65.3 per cent) spent or would spend less than HK$1000 on a single item.
However, even with online shopping becoming increasingly popular, 53.3 per cent said security and identity theft is their main concern when shopping online, followed by 22.1 per cent who worry that the item they purchase will not be as it appears on the website.
Commenting on the results of the survey, Samuel Ho, TransUnion Hong Kong CEO, said clearly Hongkongers are more and more comfortable shopping online and eCommerce offers a popular way to buy gifts during the hectic holiday period.
“However, our research demonstrates that consumers in Hong Kong might not be as aware of online security threats as they ought to be.
“In light of an increasing occurrence of identity theft incidents, it is essential for holiday shoppers to protect their personal and financial data online. Besides creating strong passwords, setting a unique one for each shopping account and device, and only making purchases at encrypted shopping websites, consumers should also monitor their credit reports often so that unauthorised purchases won’t go unnoticed.”