IPrice: Fashion, cosmetics and fragrance products take lead during Ramadan
KUCHING: This has been the second Ramadan in the midst of Covid-19, however, that did not mean that Ramadan will stop the joyous festivity that is always celebrated amongst Muslims in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, iPrice Group (iPrice) observes.
In order to accommodate the upcoming Hari Raya after 30 days of fasting, most Muslims will start to purchase gifts, essential items and traditional clothing during the beginning of Ramadan.
However, due to the coronavirus, consumer behaviour has drastically changed.
Hence, by analysing billions of product catalogues and sessions, iPrice revealed the substantial changes in Malaysians, Indonesians, and Singaporeans’ shopping behaviour during this year’s Ramadan.
In the past year, many countries faced the threat of Covid-19, which inevitably led to nationwide lockdowns.
However, with the gradual unblocking of interzone travel in 2021, people started to work from the office.
According to the research by iPrice, Hari Raya will still go on in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, and consumers in these countries were still actively searching for non-essential lifestyle items.
Data revealed a significant search increase in items like skincare products (8,140 per cent), Kaftan (8,773 per cent) and perfume (6,078 per cent) in these three countries.
With Ramadan being a sacred period, Muslims are inclined to look more presentable with nice clothing and flawless skin in time for the festivities.
According to data from Janio, Malaysians are an occasiondriven community, and Ramadan is one of the peak seasons for modest wear.
As a result, searches for Baju Melayu saw a 4241 per cent increase in 2021 compared to Ramadan in the previous year.
Interestingly, Indonesian and Singaporeans are more likely to purchase food and drinks online, such as cookies, coffee, dates (kurma), syrups, bottled drinks, and others.
This can potentially be an indication that these snacks are essential for family and guests during virtual or small gatherings.
“As we are getting closer to Eid al-Fitr preparations, a variety of promotions deals and offers boost online shopping sales.
“Consequentially, people started their online shopping journey at the beginning of the fasting period,” iPrice noted.
The most notable shift iPrice noticed was in the early morning before sunrise, when shopping sessions peaked.
Data showed that consumers in Singapore started their online shopping journey as early as 5am, after morning lull.
The activity peaked at lunch break at 2pm and after Taraweeh (the night prayer) period at 9pm until 11pm before bed.
Surprisingly, it was even earlier in Indonesia and Malaysia where people began to shop as early as 2am and 4am.
After the morning period, the activity peaked again at 10am in Indonesia and noon in Malaysia.
For one, this potentially indicates that consumers were likely to search more thoroughly for products and best deals before making a purchase for their religious activities during Ramadan or Raya celebrations.
While Muslims fast the entire day from dawn to dusk, they also focus on cherished time with family, refreshing spiritual awareness, and delicious food when they break their fast.
With so much to look forward to during the holy month, people are getting excited and are preparing long before the holiday begins. As most shopping platforms are equipped with official mobile apps, these encourage people to shop with little to no limitations -- anytime and anywhere.
With increased online consumption, iPrice noticed that consumers pull out their smartphones to purchase items online.
Advertisements, push notifications, and reminders from mobile shopping apps drive mobile phones to be the most used device for consumers in Indonesia (93 per cent), Malaysia (68 per cent) and Singapore (55 per cent) to shop online within the first two weeks of Ramadan.
By comparison, the usage of desktops only showed 43 per cent in Singapore, 31 per cent in Malaysia, and 6.41 per cent in Indonesia.
This also proved that the mobility and convenience of mobile transactions eclipsed tablet and desktop usage.