Amazon, Apple boost APAC online consumer base —study

A report published by comScore today shows top retailer brands Amazon and Apple flaunting their respective slices of the online retail pie in the Asia Pacific region, alongside regional giants such as Rakuten and Alibaba. ComScore's geographical visitation analysis of selected global retail and auction sites reveals a mix of both globally distributed and regionally concentrated audiences. In June this year, the Asia Pacific alone accounted for 24.1 percent of all traffic to Amazon Sites and 24.9 percent of traffic to Apple —approximately quarter of both retailers’ global audiences. However, the more prominent retailers in Asia, such as China’s Alibaba and Japan’s Rakuten, still dominate the Asia Pacific region with 85.7 percent and 72.7 percent respectively. Warc, a provider of marketing information, notes that this “uneven growth" indicates the challenges that Alibaba —owner of sites like Taobao, Alibaba.com and Alipay— is facing in terms of overseas expansion. Gian Fulgoni, comScore co-founder and chairman, said that technology has changed the way consumers behave and that they are increasingly opting for the convenience and pricing advantages offered by online channels. “Several global retail brands have already capitalized on this global consumer trend, and many other retailers are sure to pursue their share of the pie," he said. The research group also reported that Amazon Sites reached the largest global audience of all companies surveyed, with 282 million visitors in June, equivalent to 20.4 percent of the worldwide Internet population. Ebay came in second, with an audience of 224 million based mostly in Europe and North America, equivalent to 16.2 percent of the total Internet population. — TJD, GMA News