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<!-- headline one : start --><TR>S'poreans are biggest online shoppers in Asia-Pacific region: Poll
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->THE recession blues did not stop Singaporeans from becoming the biggest spenders online, trumping everyone else in the Asia-Pacific region, according to a survey by credit card company Visa.
On average, each Singaporean online shopper spent US$4,018 (S$5,868) last year, outshopping those in Hong Kong (US$3,791), India (US$3,442) and Japan (US$2,972).
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TOP SPENDERS IN ASIA-PACIFIC
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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The most popular online buys are travel-related items such as plane tickets, tour packages and hotel rooms.
Ms Meranda Chan, Visa's Singapore and Brunei manager, said online shopping was 'resilient' despite the uncertain times. This was because online retailers were dangling more discounts and promotions to draw more people, who realise they can buy on the cheap.
Cyberspace shopping is expected to grow further, with eight in 10 people in the survey saying they are likely to buy something online in the next 12 months.
The convenience of shopping online and the increased security for online payments are drawing in repeat buyers, said Singapore Polytechnic lecturer Sarah Lim, who teaches a course in retail management.
'After they get over their fears and get a hang of paying for their purchases online, they tend to do it more frequently, check out other websites and some may even be hooked.'
The easy access to the Internet here is another factor driving up online shopping, said Ms Lim. 'Almost everyone now has a laptop and can go online not only at home, but also in schools, shopping centres, cafes and even on the beach.'
Singapore is now the most wired nation on earth, with the household broadband penetration rate hitting 99.9 per cent last December.
With online shopping taking off, Ms Lim expects more people to jump on the bandwagon and hawk their wares online.
This includes food such as cakes and Chinese New Year goodies and fashion accessories such as necklaces and bracelets.
Corporate counsel Daniel Sassoon, 34, has shopped for items such as books, CDs, guitars and related accessories on online portals such as eBay since 1998. He now spends about $500 a month on online purchases.
'I usually get things that are not sold in shops here and are better bargains online. What's even better is that they get delivered to my place within a week.'
Human resource executive Geraldine Chew, 25, was converted to online shopping by her younger sister last year and now spends about $100 a month online, mainly on travel and clothes.
'It beats squeezing and haggling with everyone else in the malls,' she said. JERMYN CHOW
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<!-- headline one : start --><TR>S'poreans are biggest online shoppers in Asia-Pacific region: Poll
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->THE recession blues did not stop Singaporeans from becoming the biggest spenders online, trumping everyone else in the Asia-Pacific region, according to a survey by credit card company Visa.
On average, each Singaporean online shopper spent US$4,018 (S$5,868) last year, outshopping those in Hong Kong (US$3,791), India (US$3,442) and Japan (US$2,972).
<TABLE width=200 align=left valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD class=padr8><!-- Vodcast --><!-- Background Story -->RELATED LINKS
<!-- Audio --><!-- Video --><!-- PDF -->
<!-- Photo Gallery -->
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The most popular online buys are travel-related items such as plane tickets, tour packages and hotel rooms.
Ms Meranda Chan, Visa's Singapore and Brunei manager, said online shopping was 'resilient' despite the uncertain times. This was because online retailers were dangling more discounts and promotions to draw more people, who realise they can buy on the cheap.
Cyberspace shopping is expected to grow further, with eight in 10 people in the survey saying they are likely to buy something online in the next 12 months.
The convenience of shopping online and the increased security for online payments are drawing in repeat buyers, said Singapore Polytechnic lecturer Sarah Lim, who teaches a course in retail management.
'After they get over their fears and get a hang of paying for their purchases online, they tend to do it more frequently, check out other websites and some may even be hooked.'
The easy access to the Internet here is another factor driving up online shopping, said Ms Lim. 'Almost everyone now has a laptop and can go online not only at home, but also in schools, shopping centres, cafes and even on the beach.'
Singapore is now the most wired nation on earth, with the household broadband penetration rate hitting 99.9 per cent last December.
With online shopping taking off, Ms Lim expects more people to jump on the bandwagon and hawk their wares online.
This includes food such as cakes and Chinese New Year goodies and fashion accessories such as necklaces and bracelets.
Corporate counsel Daniel Sassoon, 34, has shopped for items such as books, CDs, guitars and related accessories on online portals such as eBay since 1998. He now spends about $500 a month on online purchases.
'I usually get things that are not sold in shops here and are better bargains online. What's even better is that they get delivered to my place within a week.'
Human resource executive Geraldine Chew, 25, was converted to online shopping by her younger sister last year and now spends about $100 a month online, mainly on travel and clothes.
'It beats squeezing and haggling with everyone else in the malls,' she said. JERMYN CHOW
