A recent survey has shown that around 75 per cent of Singaporeans purchase overseas products at least once a month.

According to Southeast Asian and Taiwanese e-commerce platform Shopee’s Global Deals Survey 2019, which polled more than 4000 Singaporeans about their overseas online purchasing habits, more than 90 per cent of survey respondents indicated that they buy overseas products on Shopee more today, as compared to three years earlier. Reasons cited include convenience, cost-savings, increased product variety and being able to purchase products not available in Singapore. The survey also found that shoppers prefer to purchase overseas products from sellers who have a wide variety of products available (70 per cent) and offer free shipping (30 per cent).

A recent YStats report found Singapore to be the top market for cross-border shopping in Southeast Asia, and according to a Forrester report, 60 per cent of e-commerce sales consist of overseas orders.

Japan is the fastest-growing market for overseas purchases, as demand for health supplements rises. Over the years, Japanese brands have increasingly made inroads in Singapore, gaining ground in the local retail scene with the entrance of a new wave of Japanese fashion labels and discount stores.

According to Shopee’s survey, when it comes to purchasing Japanese products, quality (70 per cent), variety (75 per cent) and items that are not available in Singapore (73 per cent) are what fuels the appetite of Singaporean shoppers.

Shopee has recently unveiled a dedicated in-app space where users can access more than 50 million deals from six popular shopping destinations. Named Global Deals, the feature introduced deals from China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia and Hong Kong, and is accessible via a dedicated button on the Shopee homepage.

“Singaporean shoppers have become globalised consumers who now have the world at their fingertips, and they are constantly on the lookout for convenience, quality and variety,” said Shopee CCO Zhou Junjie.