As per the study from GfK Market Intelligence, Indonesian e-commerce excelled up to 43% among other Southeast Asian countries in 2021. This hike in Indonesian online sales resulted in significant contributions to the Technical Consumer Goods TCG industry. The market value for TCG increased up to 23% in 2021 compared to the 19% increase in 2020. Similarly, e-commerce in Singapore and Thailand grew up to 22%, contributing more than 20% to the overall TCG market value in 2021. Read more from Retailasia

Checkout.com, a cloud-based payment firm, surveyed 12,000 consumers from the Asia-Pacific region to explore the recent payment and online business trends. As per the report from Payments Optimization in APAC: Innovation from the Global Frontier, there are visible differences in the payment methods opted by consumers. 1, The results from the survey revealed that 95% of Asia-Pacific’s consumers regularly shop from online channels, and the number is expected to grow in the coming years, signifying the importance of e-commerce in the post-pandemic era. 2, Checkout.com claims that Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) service is transforming the conventional modes of the transaction into easy and flexible instalments. 3, Social commerce is expanding in the APAC region at a fast pace, as China generated US$6 billion in revenue from social commerce. The future of e-commerce involves the innovational internet web3 and cryptocurrency known as social tokens. 4, There is an overlap between centralised and decentralised means of transaction. Recent research from VISA unfolds that Singapore and Hong Kong are ready to accept cryptocurrency for payments. Read more from Insideretail

Chinese luxury brands adapted Machine learning and AI to use consumers’ data securely and reduce cost while offering quality-driven customer services. Burberry utilizes the Image Recognition Technology, featuring advanced algorithms offered by an AI-based firm, Entropy. The feature allows Burberry to identify fake or replicated products. Plus, the firm manages its inventory via Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) that enables the brand to track stock availability. Prada deployed Adobe Experience Cloud Solutions and teamed up with Sprinkler, a customer experience management firm, to offer efficient customer experience and establish a digital space. Alibaba launched chatbots to leverage its customer-centric marketing. Alibaba also partnered with Guess, a lifestyle brand, to debut an AI store in Hong Kong, where consumers can register with customized Taobao QR codes and facial recognition. Louis Vuitton joined hands with Alphabet Inc., a technology firm, to boost stock optimization. Read more from Jingdaily