October 19, 2023
As we confront the dynamism and transformations in Taiwan's e-commerce market, the evolution of online shopping habits and behaviors becomes the focal point. Demystifying the enigma of e-commerce operating models and making the shopping experience transparent is the present challenge and opportunity. At the same time, paying attention to the needs of potential consumers, along with their payment psychology and emphasis on information security, is paramount. Offering a diverse range of product choices and reasonable prices, both locally and overseas, will help strengthen consumer trust and deepen the impact of the e-commerce market.
This analysis is based on an online survey conducted by the Z.com Engagement Lab from 2023-09-20 to 2023-09-24 . The survey collected data from 969 Taiwan internet users aged between 16 and 60, with the aim of providing insights for business decision-makers on consumer perspectives in the post-COVID era.
The study reveals that over 60% of the internet users have a hazy understanding of online shopping platforms' operating models like B2C and C2C. Only about 35.4% of users claim to have a clear understanding of the differences between these models, while 41.3% of respondents acknowledged the existence of differences but were unsure of the specifics.
The frequency of usage for online shopping platforms decreases with age and does not exhibit significant differences between genders. Overall, 25.4% of internet users are heavy users, utilizing the platforms daily. When considering users with a frequency of 'monthly' or 'more than a month' as potential consumers, 42.7% of internet users present a substantial opportunity for development, with the highest potential among the 51-60 age group (55%).
When asked about the maximum acceptable amount for a single checkout, the majority of respondents, 31.8%, said they were comfortable with amounts ranging between NT500 and NT1,000. This was closely followed by 27% of respondents, who were okay with the range NT1,000-NT2,000.
Over 80% of respondents use mobile devices for online shopping. In terms of frequently used platforms, Shopee tops the list with a usage rate of 83.3%, followed by momo Shopping (55.6%) and PChome (28.3%).
In the e-commerce sector, 82.3% of respondents believe that 'Protection of member information by the shopping platform' is of vital importance, possibly highlighting the rising cybersecurity awareness due to increasing scams. Furthermore, 'Customer service or delivery quality of the shopping platform' (80.8%) and 'Diverse payment methods provided by the platform' (77.8%) were also of high importance amongst users. Interestingly, 'discounted product prices' ranked lowest at 68.4%, indicating that factors like security, service, and convenience are held in higher regard than low prices.
In terms of checkout habits, 51% of respondents would wait to checkout until they could take advantage of price discounts, 29% would add items to their shopping cart and wait for large-scale discount events before checking out, and only 20% checked out immediately after deciding on their purchases. Regarding product types, 'Household Goods' (61.2%) and 'Food' (54.5%) were the most commonly purchased. '3C and peripheral products' were more frequently purchased by males (59%) than females (34%), while 'Fashion and Beauty products' were more popular among females (55%) than males (24.1%).
Nearly 40% of respondents have recently used overseas online shopping platforms, with 'Taobao' (24.4%) being the most used, followed by 'Amazon' (10.1%). The main reasons attracting users to overseas online shopping platforms are the 'variety of product choices' (45%) and 'price considerations' (44%).
Z.com Engagement Lab will continue to track the online shopping of the Taiwan public and update survey data, monitoring market trends and changes in consumer demand.
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