Singapore across generations keen to support local businesses

Photo by Dylan Gillis

Amazon Singapore has released the results of a nationwide survey on consumer shopping behaviour in the past year, conducted by YouGov. 

Surveying 1,207 adults in Singapore, the study sought to explore the online shopping behaviour across three main generational groups in the country – Gen Z (born 1997 to 2009), Millennial (born 1981 to 1996) and Gen X (born 1965 to 1980) and looked at the items purchased in the past year, the impact COVID-19 had on shopping habits, and if the behavioural change is likely to shift post-pandemic.

Henry Low, Country Manager, Amazon Singapore said: “Customer obsession has always been at the heart of Amazon’s business globally. By keeping our finger on the pulse of changing consumer trends and behaviour, we ensure the user experience is optimised for customers’ shopping preferences.” 

Key Finding #1: More than half of Singapore shoppers are #ShopLocal fans, with Gen X-ers being the biggest supporters

Across generations, more than half of the respondents said that they will choose to support local sellers over buying the same product from an international seller if there are no price differences.

Living up to their word, the study finds 48 per cent of Gen X shoppers confirming that they bought from local brands in the past 1 week or more recently, followed closely by Millennial (44 per cent) and Gen Z (34 per cent).

Key Finding #2: Gen Z shoppers in Singapore most likely to consciously support businesses that give back to the community when shopping online

While majority of all shoppers polled said they will support organisations that have a charitable component, 63 per cent of Gen Z shoppers said that for the same product, they would rather buy from a seller that gives back to the local community, versus one that does not, compared to 55 per cent of both Millennial and Gen X shoppers, the study revealed.

Key Finding #3: While 90 per cent of Singaporeans were already seasoned online shoppers before the pandemic, the “new normal” saw shoppers spending most on Clothing & Accessories across generations

According to the study findings, Clothing & Accessories top the most popular product categories across all shoppers polled, followed by Health & Personal Care, and Groceries.

1. Clothing & Accessories (59 per cent)

This category was the most-shopped among Gen Z (64 per cent), with the group spending 34 per cent of their total online spend – the highest compared to the other generation groups.

2. Health & Personal Care (47 per cent)

Gen Z’s were the most health conscious, spending the highest proportion of their total online spend (25 per cent) on Health and Personal Care products.  

3. Groceries (46 per cent)

Groceries contributed to the highest proportion of Millennial’s (36 per cent) and Gen X’s (43 per cent) online spending. More Gen X (19 per cent) and Millennial (18 per cent) grocery online shoppers also carted out groceries online for the first time due to the pandemic.

Key Findings #4: 85 per cent of shoppers polled started buying Pet Supplies online due to the pandemic and said they would continue to buy Pet Supplies moving forward=

Of all the product categories purchased since the start of the pandemic, shoppers across the generations said they will continue to buy the following online as often or more.

Pet Supplies (85 per cent)

Despite coming in top, this category was overwhelmingly dominated by Millennial (90 per cent) and Gen X (88 per cent) pet supplies shoppers, with both generations driving demand in the Pet Supplies category.

Beauty and Skincare (82 per cent)

84 per cent of Gen Z beauty and skincare shoppers said they will continue to buy Beauty and Skincare products, compared to 85 per cent of Millennial and 75 per cent of Gen X shoppers.

Books (78 per cent)

Gen X book shoppers emerged the most voracious readers with 82 per cent indicating they would continue to purchase Books online moving forward.

Key Finding #5: Gen X puts safety first while Gen Z motivated by wider international selection to shop online; low prices continue to motivate shoppers across generations

With the introduction of social distancing measures and heightened public health alerts, 2 in 5 Gen X shoppers (39 per cent) said the ability to avoid public spaces and stay safe is a key motivator for online shopping.

While 27 per cent of Gen Z shoppers said the availability of international selection is a crucial online shopping motivator, the highest compared to their Millennial and Gen X counterparts.

Lastly, with the majority of Singaporeans identifying as Bargain Hunters (32 per cent) and 41 per cent saying that lower prices are the top motivator for online shopping, it comes as no surprise that 23 per cent of shoppers rely on product comparison sites when making online shopping decisions.