Since its inception, internet has made a massive impact on our lives and it has greatly influenced the way we conduct activities. The most sizzling phenomena created by this virtual world is the development of online shopping stores. It has given user the luxury to take buying power in their hands while they sit and relax at home. The internet shopping has maneuvered the conventional retail models and it has witnessed huge success not just in the developed countries but also third world countries like Pakistan.
The online shopping trend in Pakistan has emerged quite late as compared to rest of the world, but still the country is experiencing some ground breaking trends in the e-commerce industry. Pakistan’s e-commerce sector is still considered to be immature by the industry experts however, there is no denying the fact that the small industry is churning out yearly revenues of around $30 million. This figure in the light of current trend is expected to reach as high as $600 million by the next 5 years. There have been certain motivational factors that have encouraged this shopping trend in Pakistan.
Internet Penetration
Though internet penetration in Pakistan is around 29% as compared to European countries but still the figure is increasing each year. The use of internet has increased over the past few years because of low internet costs being provided by different service providers. The introduction of broadband, DSL, mobile internet, 3G/4G services by various telecom and IT sectors have made internet reach not just to the major cities but in far flung areas as well.
Online User Demographics:
The user demographics is quite similar to world trends that online shoppers mostly comprises of age group 18-35. This might be because the young generation is more tech savvy and they are active on social media sites.
Out of online users, 55% of them are Facebook users and also with the age group of 18-34, they make 48% of internet users in Pakistan. They are socially active and know about the latest products and services being offered by emerging e-commerce sites.
Demographically, Lahore is the most popular city with 21% of total e-commerce activity in major cities followed by Karachi at 20%, Islamabad and Rawalpindi combined at 15%.
Products in Demand:
Another factor in bringing e-commerce on the path of success is the increase in demand by people for various products. The most popular online shopping categories in demand are technology products and electronics. There are various online shopping sites that are offering all the popular product categories to let the shoppers find their favorite variety at one place. New ventures like Getnow.pk are emerging despite the tough competition created by industry giants such Daraz and Homeshopping because people are eager to buy latest variety of products online. You can buy mobiles, laptops, games, electronics, beauty and makeup products and even home appliances all at one place which gives the users convenience and safety.
The emergence of new online shopping sites that offer these products at competitive prices to meet the demands of online buyers is the sign that e-commerce is growing in the right direction of progress.
