PayPal: 79% of Singapore users would shop online, with a phone

(source: superadrianme.com)

If you’ve stepped into Orchard Road this past couple of weeks, you’d have seen how crowded this city can get when everyone’s in a mad rush to buy stuff.

Unsurprisingly, some have stayed far away from the madding crowd – 79 per cent of folks in Singapore expect to have done some form of shopping using their phones, tablets or PCs this festive season, according to a survey commissioned by PayPal.

The online payment company said that consumers here don’t like waiting in long lines, are happy to shop at odd hours of the day and want to compare prices and items online after they see something at a physical store.

The findings come from an online survey of more than 4,500 consumers aged 16 to 64, who were from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Singapore, Britain and the United States. The study was carried out in November.

When getting to town to shop, Singapore consumers get frustrated by being stuck in traffic jams or slow moving traffic, not being able to find parking spots and the time it takes to get anywhere, according to the survey released earlier this month.

Indeed, it says that 39 per cent of respondents here would give up presents altogether rather than drive in holiday traffic. Among interesting alternatives, 22 per cent would rather run 10km and 13 per cent would rather wax their legs.

What about shopping at odd hours to beat the human jam that’s becoming increasingly common in this small, densely-packed city?

Again, unsurprisingly, PayPal’s survey says more than half of consumers here – 58 per cent – prefer to shop online during those odd hours.

What’s so good about doing that at home? Here’s the breakdown:

· Don’t have to put up with bad weather (38 per cent)

· Wear comfortable clothes (34 per cent)

· Don’t have to drive (31 per cent)

· Watch TV while shopping (27 per cent)

· Don’t have to be judged for what I buy (27 per cent)