Lazada Thailand, the e-commerce arm of Alibaba in Asean, is gearing up for more targeted marketing campaigns to shoppers this year as the coronavirus outbreak is leading to rising online transactions and more vendors.
"We will continue our marketing campaigns throughout this year even during this challenging time as consumers have strong demand to purchase online rather than buying in crowded areas," Jack Zhang, deputy chief executive of Lazada Thailand, told the Bangkok Post.
The number of sellers on Lazada has jumped during the last quarter along with a rise in sales transactions, he said.
Online platforms have become the channel that serves sellers and buyers during the viral outbreak, which has sparked concerns about shopping in crowded malls.
On Lazada, the top-selling items in the health category include face masks, sanitiser gel and gloves.
Warnings and point deductions could be imposed on sellers of these items if they overcharge their customers.
"Consumer goods are seeing increasing demand from buyers," said Mr Zhang.
For local sellers facing inventory shortages because of the disruption of Chinese supply chains, they can choose "Holiday Mode" status or expanded delivery time, he said.
Buyers burdened by cancellation of product delivery will receive a 20-baht coupon, said Mr Zhang.
"Gross merchandise value in 2019 increased 95% from 2018 for Lazada Thailand," said Thanida Suiwatana, chief business officer.
She made the remark via livestream coverage from its "Mega Seller Conference" at Bitec.
More than 200 million items are sold on Lazada's platform in Asean and 90% of the products can be delivered within the same day or next day, which reflects the strong logistics network, said Ms Thanida.
Woraya Darongkamas, senior vice-president of e-commerce at Lazada Thailand, said online buyers attach importance to a variety of choices, convenience and attractive prices.
"Sneakers, smartphones, lipstick and shelves are among the top searches," Ms Woraya said.
Statistics show 40% of Lazada customers buy products through online searches, while 78% have increased trust and are more likely to buy if merchants decorate their items and present product details.
Paradee Sinthawanarong, country chief of marketing for Lazada, said the company will continue investing in marketing and increase the number of campaigns, with a focus on women's sales festivals, men's products and sporting goods in line with the Tokyo Olympics. Another area of emphasis will be home furnishings.
Females aged 18-24 are the prime target and they mostly shop at 10am on Mondays, she said.
"We will reduce offline events, but will continue to promote mega events online," said Ms Paradee.
As for women's festival campaigns, fashion shows will be conducted, letting users watch and buy products online instantly.
