Philippines tops Southeast Asia in e-commerce sales – Amazon

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has the highest percentage of domestic e-commerce sellers in Southeast Asia, showing big room for growth for cross-border e-commerce, according to a survey of Amazon.

Amazon Global Selling’s survey showed the percentage of domestic e-commerce sellers in the Philippines was at 70 percent, the highest compared to other Southeast Asian countries.

“Philippine e-commerce is still a relatively new, but rapidly developing sector,” Bernard Tay, head of Amazon Global Selling for Southeast Asia, said.

He said the surge in online shopping during lockdowns imposed due to the pandemic is giving rise to the digital model of doing business as part of the new normal, along with business innovation and technological adoption.

The Cross-Border E-commerce Awareness and Perception Report surveyed a total of 1,600 MSMEs or 400 respondents each in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines to address sellers’ pain points for cross-border e-commerce.

“Based on our latest report, Philippine MSMEs (micro, small medium enterprises) want to develop more robust capabilities for cross-border e-commerce – from understanding business models and foreign competition to cross-border operations and international logistics,” Tay said.

He said Amazon Global Selling’s first-ever Seller Boot Camp held recently is timely as it provides small enterprises an opportunity to identify gaps in their current operations and be equipped with the knowledge, resources, and connections to support sustainable global business expansion.

While there are opportunities for growth through cross-border e-commerce, local MSMEs have cited barriers to selling globally.

For Philippines MSMEs, 53 percent cited difficulty in managing cross-border supply chains and logistics as the top barrier they face.

In order to mitigate this, Amazon has been making investments in building a world-class fulfillment and delivery network.

Another barrier faced in selling overseas through e-commerce is competition, with 71 percent admitting they are not well-prepared to meet the demands and preferences of consumers in international markets.

Filipino entrepreneurs, however, showed high awareness for Amazon as a cross-border marketplace compared to their counterparts in Southeast Asia.

Local MSMEs also want to learn how they can better prepare their business for global expansion.

Amazon offers various resources for MSMEs to help them expand their business overseas.

From 2019 to 2020, Amazon has invested more than $30 billion in logistics, tools, services, programs, and people worldwide to support the growth of its selling partners.

Last February, Amazon Global Selling held its first online seller summit in the Philippines to help Filipino MSMEs looking to sell on Amazon, as well as give access to new tools and services for sellers to grow their sales in the e-commerce firm’s stores.