Consumers are returning to physical stores but the digital shopping habits formed during the pandemic continue to be relevant. The latest Seasonal Holidays Study shows that 7 in 10 Malaysians buy spontaneously on social platforms with 73% enjoying discovering relevant items not actively looked for, while 74% are always browsing for shopping inspiration when online.
The study surveyed nearly 18,000 people across 12 APAC markets, including 1,514 people in Malaysia, was conducted in December 2021 about their year-end shopping attitudes and behaviours.
According to the study, Mega Sales Days continue to be a popular moment as 91% of all year-end shoppers surveyed bought something during Mega Sale Days and here are the five new year-end Mega Sale Days consumer shopping trends in Malaysia to help businesses maximise every sales moment:
1. Consumers are planning purchases ahead of mega sales day. 1 in 2 surveyed planned for purchases in October or before (21%) and November (29%) where items of purchase included Cars/Motorcycles/Auto Parts (19%), Electronics (18%), and Books (16%). 35% surveyed planned for purchases in December with confectionery (52%) highest in the category, food (45%) and Travel and Vacation (44%).
2. Mega Sale Days drive new product discovery and consideration. 94% of year-end shoppers surveyed are likely to try a new brand particularly in the following categories – Food (49%), Electronics (45%), and Apparel and Fashion (44%). In addition, 79% surveyed made discoveries through personal connection, 60% through sponsored content and 56% through video content. Overall, 87% of social shoppers made discoveries on Meta Technologies namely Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and Messenger.
3. Gen Z and Millennials are shopping more on social platforms. 1 in 2 surveyed have discovered and shopped on social platforms, and 56% of which tends to be Gen Z and Millennials. In addition, 81% of GenZ/Millennials shoppers said they have made discoveries through mobile, making it the leading source of discovery.
4. Immersive and interactive technologies influence mega sales day purchase decisions. 78% of social shoppers surveyed have watched or are open to a live shopping event online with shoppers moving from awareness to purchase within one session. Additionally, 1 in 2 social shoppers surveyed have used AR or would be open to it when year-end shopping online with 75% of social shoppers surveyed believe augmented reality tools are influential in their Mega Sale Day purchase decisions.
5. Business messaging helps strengthen the connection between businesses and shoppers. 72% of social shoppers surveyed messaged a business via instant messaging this past year end season.
Not all Mega Sale Days are the same, as purchase intent varies, but the most popular one is 12.12 Mega Sale Days where it skewed towards preparation for the holiday season with shoppers purchasing Apparel and Fashion (36%) and Health and Beauty (30%).
“Over the past two years, we see that traditional retailers are increasing their engagement and investment online, ahead of Mega Sales Day. Brands need to meet people where they are at, to understand what customers want and address their needs, in order to woo them successfully. In order to use the Mega Sale Days strategy to capture high intent shoppers, I’d recommend 3 focus areas. First, brands need to be social and mobile first and deliver personalised ads experiences. Secondly, shoppers need to be able to connect with brands easily at all times through channels like instant messaging. Finally, find creative ways to communicate and engage with shoppers through immersive experiences like AR/VR, or even leveraging trusted creators,” said Nicole Tan, Country Director, Malaysia at Meta.
