New E-commerce report highlights ways to grow digital commerce

A new report titled “E-commerce: A Driver of Inclusive Growth in Sri Lanka?” has highlighted ways to grow the digital commerce industry and its potential.

The report was recently presented to President Ranil Wickremesinghe by Managing Director of Daraz Sri Lanka Rakhil Fernando (sponsors of the report) and co-authors of the report, Dr. Ganeshan Wignaraja and Ms. Anishka De Zylva, Daraz said in a media release.

The presentation to the President highlighted several key findings from the study. First, that the spread of e-commerce is an island wide phenomenon with over 50 per cent of the respondents in all provinces saying that they use e-commerce to purchase goods and services.

Second, that the pandemic increased the use of e-commerce and this trend is set to deepen. Third, that online sellers are mostly young and start-up businesses. Fourth, that various obstacles hinder the use of e-commerce in the country such as non-users lacking the requisite skills to use e-commerce, the under-development of digital payment systems, the high cost of new smartphones and gaps in trade facilitation. Finally, that as the Sri Lankan economy stabilises, the digital economy and e-commerce can support new jobs and boost incomes particularly among the country’s youth. The discussion also highlighted progress made by neighbouring economies, particularly India and Vietnam, and recommendations were made on how Sri Lanka might strive to emulate their success.

The survey was conducted by NielsenIQ Sri Lanka, under the supervision of Ms. Therica Miyanadeniya, Country Director of NielsenIQ Sri Lanka

Dr. Ganeshan Wignaraja, Professorial Fellow in Economics and Trade at Gateway House, Mumbai and a Senior Research Associate at ODI Global, London, designed and co-authored the report together with Ms Anishka De Zylva, Head of Public Policy and Corporate Affairs at Daraz Sri Lanka. The survey was conducted by NielsenIQ Sri Lanka, under the supervision of Ms. Therica Miyanadeniya, Country Director of NielsenIQ Sri Lanka.

The report is based on the meticulous collection of primary data through an islandwide survey of a sample population of more than 4,500 participants undertaken between March 2022 and July 2022. The survey collected information in areas that are relevant to making business strategies and public policies covering: (i) the use of e-commerce across provinces and districts; (ii) the types of goods and services purchased; (iii) purchasing behaviour during the pandemic; (iv) user behaviour by characteristics; (v) the types of devices and payment methods used for e-commerce purchases; (vi) factors discouraging online purchasing; (vii) the use of e-commerce for selling goods and services; and (vii) the influence of government policy on e-commerce transactions from both a seller and consumer perspective.