Indonesia-based Koinworks might follow the lead of larger global players and pursue a one-stop-shop model to drive revenue growth.

After missing out on a big rebound in 2021, Southeast Asia’s total retail and ecommerce sales are both set to boom this year. Indonesia—set for a standout year—will shape the region’s metrics and account for nearly 65% of Southeast Asia’s ecommerce sales.

For example, many local ecommerce giants in the region are tipping into a network of local mom and pop stores as fulfillment and payment collection centers. Innovative payment options, like buy now, pay later, are also important in overcoming the relatively low spending power in emerging economies.

Increase Visibility on Ecommerce Platforms to Make Up for Lost Footfall. The increased dependence on online shopping brought on by the pandemic is likely to last well into the future in the Asia-Pacific region. The resulting growth in retail media provides more advertising options to marketers, as do ecommerce apps and increasingly popular livestreaming commerce scenarios.

In China, ecommerce sales will make up a substantial share of 2022's total retail sales at 46.3%, while the UK and South Korea will round out the top 3, with 36.3% and 32.2% ecommerce shares, respectively.

Total retail sales in Southeast Asia grew 2.5% in 2021.

Countries mentioned: China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand. Key companies: AirAsia, Gojek, Grab, WeChat. Essential stats: This year, retail sales will reach $970.83 billion across the six major economies we track in Southeast Asia. But only 4.6% of those sales—or $45.07 billion—will transact via ecommerce.