Charting Thailand’s mobile commerce landscape: mobile shopping apps use & top m-commerce purchases

In mid-June, the video sharing platform TikTok announced plans to scale up its e-commerce business – TikTok Shop – as it looks to invest billions of dollars into markets across Southeast Asia over the next few years.

The growth of TikTok Shop is likely to be closely watched by established e-commerce players, such as Shopee, Lazada, Kaidee, AliExpress and Amazon, as a potential challenger in the mobile commerce / m-commerce space.

But how popular is online shopping via mobile in Thailand currently? How does usage of different mobile shopping channels (e-commerce platform apps, retail brands own mobile apps, social media e-shops and mobile web browsers) vary? And what products are Thailand’s mobile shoppers most likely to purchase across different age groups?

How popular are various mobile commerce channels in Thailand?

Latest research from YouGov Surveys – using an online representative sample of ~2000 Thai residents – show that more than nine in ten (95%) consumers say they use their smartphone to shop online.

This proportion is largely similar across Gen Z, Millennials and Gen X, while among Baby Boomers this dips to over four in five (83%).

Significantly, three in five (60%) Thai consumers use e-commerce platform apps for online shopping – the most popular mobile commerce channel – similar to other APAC markets like Singapore and Indonesia. The next most popular channel, social media e-shops, are used by around a quarter (24%) of consumers.

Meanwhile, less than a tenth of mobile shoppers use mobile apps from specific retail brands (8%) or a mobile browser (4%) – significantly lower compared to other APAC market like Hong Kong and Australia.

Among consumers who use dedicated mobile shopping apps – either from e-commerce platforms or retail brands – about two-thirds have between one to three of such apps installed on their phone, while a quarter have five or more of such apps.

How do different generations and regions vary in their use of top mobile commerce channels?

Across generations, e-commerce platform apps are used by the majority of mobile shoppers. But usage is relatively higher among older mobile shoppers – Gen X and Baby Boomers – at around three-quarters. Among younger mobile shoppers, usage stands around three in five Millennials and over half of Gen Z.

In contrast, usage of social media e-shops is relatively higher among younger mobile shoppers – over a quarter of Gen Z and Millennials – compared to over a seventh of Gen X and Baby Boomers.

Across regions, e-commerce platform apps are used by the majority of mobile shoppers. But usage is significantly higher in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region – at around three-quarters – compared to around three-fifths of mobile shoppers in the Central / Northern / Southern regions, and just over half of mobile shoppers in the Northeastern region.

In contrast, usage of social media e-shops is highest among mobile shoppers in the Northeastern region – at around one in three – followed by the Southern and Northern regions where more than a quarter of mobile shoppers indicate so. Meanwhile, usage is significantly lower in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region at just over one in seven mobile shoppers.

How often do consumers in Thailand shop online via their smartphone?

Latest data from YouGov Surveys also shows that, among consumers who shop online using their smartphone, most do so at least once a month.

Close to half (46%) say they don’t shop online via their mobile every week, but do so at least once a month, while around a third (32%) go mobile shopping on a weekly basis.

What products do consumers in Thailand buy using their smartphone?

Clothes, shoes and fashion apparel are the most common mobile shopping purchase – with over three-fifths of Gen Z, Millennials and Gen X consumers and half of Baby Boomers saying they buy such products online via their smartphone.

Personal care and toiletries are #2 among mobile-shopping Millennials and #3 among Gen Z and Gen X, but #4 among Baby Boomers. Cosmetics and skincare are #2 among mobile-shopping Gen Z and #3 among Millennials, but #6 among Gen X and Baby Boomers.

Notably, unlike other APAC markets – such as Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Singapore – mobile booking of hotels and flights is much less popular, with less than a quarter of mobile shoppers across generations indicating so.

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Methodology: YouGov Surveys: Serviced provides quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. This study was conducted online in July 2023, with an online representative sample of 2,028 adults (aged 18+ years) in Thailand, using a questionnaire designed by YouGov. Data figures have been weighted by gender, age, region and monthly household income to be representative of the adult online population in Thailand (18 years or older), and reflect the latest National Statistical Office of Thailand (NSO) population estimates. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Serviced.

_{Photo by Chayanon Phumchuai on Getty Images}