Major e-commerce players Lazada, Shopee and JD Central saw significant growth in transactions at their 11.11 shopping festival this year, driven by new digital customers and heavy promotions to stimulate spending.
Thailand saw nine million new digital customers since the start of the pandemic in 2020 to the first half of this year with 67% of them in non-metro areas, according to the latest e-Conomy SEA 2021 report, jointly commissioned by Google, Temasek and Bain & Company.
Of the 59 million internet users in Thailand, 42 million have become digital consumers defined as those engaged in online transactions, according to the Thailand E-commerce Association.
According to Lazada, the number of new users at the 11.11 festival in 2021 rose 120% compared to last year's event. Products that had successful sales increased 200% and sellers who earned more than 100,000 baht rose 300%.
The top brands in LazMall, a premium brand-focused feature of Lazada, in the first two hours of 11.11 festival were Sabina, MamyPoko and BabyLove, Lazada said in a statement.
Among the best-selling items were women's fashion, skincare and personal care products, which reflect the trend of people returning to work at offices.
Shopee, which operates in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, noted that 11 million items were sold within the first five minutes of the 11.11 festival across the region.
In Thailand, many waited for 11.11 to purchase personal and home essentials to maximise their savings, Shopee said in a statement.
The midnight shopping rush saw visits spiking 5.5 times in the first two hours, compared with an average day, it said.
Mobile accessories and kitchen and dining products were the most popular categories among Thai shoppers, it said.
According to Shopee, Thais also eagerly stocked up on tissue paper and reed diffusers with around 180,000 units bought within the opening hour of the sale. Skincare was also in high demand, with over 30,000 units sold.
Shopee, which is part of the global consumer internet firm Sea, pointed out that Thais capitalised on the 11.11 event to refresh and upgrade their tech gadgets for a better work environment.
One user carted out 180,000 baht worth of items, purchasing items such as a laptop and desktop computer, it said.
JD Central said orders on its platform saw a record 227% growth in year-on-year sales transactions in the first two hours of the 11.11 festival.
The fastest growing categories were "mother and children" as well as "food and beverage", JD Central said in a statement.
The five best-selling categories were smartphones and tablets as well as major home appliances.