Heaptalk, Jakarta — Sirclo reveals that the number of online shopping transactions grew by 62.5% during Ramadan 2021-2023. The internal data shows that the number of consumers shopping online has also increased by 36.5%.
Responding to these findings, Sirclo CEO Danang Cahyono explained that the optimism for increasing consumer purchasing power from year to year is aligned with the hike in consumer interest in shopping online in this digital era. He said, “Therefore, by learning the latest online shopping trends, we can leverage this information to develop sales strategies that are right on target in the month of Ramadan 2024.”
Sirclo’s findings are in line with the results of The Trade Desk’s latest survey which shows that 67% of Indonesians plan to allocate at least a quarter of their holiday allowance to celebrate Ramadan 2024. In addition, 48% of consumers reported an increase in spending driven by optimism about improving economic conditions.
Top five product categories
In more detail, Sirclo found the top five product categories that online consumers are interested in during Ramadan 2023, namely beauty & personal care, healthcare, home living, food & beverages, and fashion. This shopping pattern is driven by Ramadan traditions such as preparing hampers, maintaining health during fasting, and buying new clothes for Eid al-Fitr.
Public enthusiasm is increasingly visible with the growth in shopping basket size, specifically in the Fashion category, which rose by 12%. For this reason, Sirclo sees that this growing shopping trend provides an opportunity for business actors to boost sales at online stores by designing special product offers for Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr editions.
Shopping online at suhoor and iftar
There is an interesting trend in online shopping time patterns during Ramadan 2023. Before the Ramadan period, the most popular shopping time or prime time was 7-8 pm Western Indonesian Time. During Ramadan, the prime time for online shopping is spread over several times, namely at suhoor, especially at 4-5 am Western Indonesian Time, after iftar, namely 7-9 pm Western Indonesian Time, and exactly at midnight.
This trend can be a reference for developing online selling strategies through the live shopping feature. Currently, interest in live shopping is growing across all age groups, with the highest percentage on Gen Z (87%), millennials (86%), and Gen X (82%). Businesses can prioritize the advantages of live shopping to provide more interactive product demonstrations to consumers during the prime time for online shopping.
Utilizing other types of promotions
Product promotions in the month of Ramadan are valuable for businesses as they can influence consumer shopping decisions. TGM Research data shows that 41% of respondents are looking for special offers and promotions for their shopping needs during the month of Ramadan.
Multiple promotional strategies can be implemented by businesses across product categories, including bundles and gifts for food & beverages and beauty & personal care; buy xx get xx for healthcare; buy more save more for home living; as well as vouchers for fashion.
Reaching tech-savvy moms
The role of women in the family, as mothers and wives, is crucial in making shopping decisions, including during Ramadan. According to Sirclo’s internal data, around 40.1% of mothers search for product-related information through micro-influencers. Meanwhile, in terms of shopping behavior, 1 in 3 mothers shop online. This shows the importance of their role in shaping mothers’ purchasing decisions.
The main categories of online shopping that mothers are interested in are aligned with the Ramadan 2023 trend, including daily necessities (one of which is food & beverages), beauty & personal care, and healthcare. This behavioral pattern opens up great opportunities for businesses to expand market share, such as collaborating with micro-influencers, especially momfluencers, to reach millennial moms who are digitally connected.
