Report: South-East Asia added 70 million online consumers during pandemic

Delivery riders pick up an order from a grocery store in Bangkok, Thailand. Research found online groceries to be the fastest-growing segment, with a majority of consumers planning to either maintain or increase their at-home online spending on that and other categories. — Bloomberg

The South-East Asia region, led by Indonesia, added 70 million new online shoppers since the start of the pandemic, according to an annual report by Facebook Inc and Bain & Co.

Surveying more than 16,000 people across Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, the researchers found a rapid pace of digital adoption during the pandemic and related lockdowns. By the end of 2021, they expect each of those countries to have 70% or more of its adult population as digital consumers. The jump from 5% to 9% of online retail penetration also marked faster growth than India, Brazil and China.