Half of online shoppers in Asia-Pacific make purchases cross-border, according to a recent report by yStats.

The top two markets for cross-border shopping in the region are Hong Kong and Singapore while Japan shuns the trend, with over nine in 10 online shoppers buying only domestically.

The tendency to buy from foreign online sellers also prevails in Australia and New Zealand, where a double-digit share of digital spending is cross-border.

The top three destinations of cross-border online shoppers in Asia-Pacific are China, the US and Japan. Chinese online shoppers themselves prefer shopping platforms hosted by local providers, such as Tmall Global, Kaola and JD Global.

Apparel and accessories was the most-in-demand product category. In South Korea, this sector accounted for more than one-third of e-commerce purchases from foreign sellers.

Handheld connections prefered

A standout characteristic of cross-border shopping in Asia-Pacific is the high level of mobile usage.

Digital buyers in China and India were more likely to place orders on foreign websites through smartphones and tablets than through a desktop computer.

The Asia-Pacific Cross-Border B2C E-Commerce 2018 report covers online retail imports and exports in 10 nations within Asia Pacific.