A recent survey conducted by Airwallex, in partnership with Statista, paints a robust picture of Singapore’s cross-border e-commerce landscape, revealing key consumer preferences and non-negotiables for online merchants.
The “Airwallex Singapore Cross-Border eCommerce Survey 2025,” which polled 1,000 cross-border e-commerce shoppers in the island nation in January 2025, underscores the mainstream nature of international online shopping among local consumers and offers vital intelligence for tech startups eyeing the Southeast Asian market.
Singapore’s cross-border e-commerce boom is unstoppable
The study highlights that cross-border e-commerce is not just mainstream but also frequent in Singapore. A remarkable ninety-three per cent of consumers are comfortable buying online from overseas merchants, a figure “significantly higher than the global average”. This demonstrates a mature and confident online shopping demographic ready to look beyond local shores for their needs.
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The top categories attracting Singaporean cross-border shoppers include:
- Fashion and apparel
- Skincare and beauty products
- Electronics
- Food and beverages
These categories represent clear opportunities for international merchants and e-commerce platforms targeting Singapore.
The imperative of seamless checkout: Transparency and trust are king
For online merchants, the checkout experience is a critical determinant of success, with transparency, speed, and trust emerging as key drivers. Shoppers articulate a clear demand for a sophisticated and secure transaction process.
The most valued aspects of an online checkout experience include:
- A “transparent pricing structure that includes a breakdown of taxes and fees, such as foreign exchange and shipping fees”. This suggests a strong preference for clarity and no hidden costs, which can significantly erode trust.
- The “ability to pay using my preferred payment methods”.
- A “mobile friendliness of the checkout process to let me complete the purchase on mobile”.
A significant red flag for consumers is any disruption to the payment flow. The survey found that 92 per cent of online shoppers “feel less secure about their payment if they are redirected to a different page to complete it”. Such redirections make them “less likely to complete the purchase” and “disrupt their shopping flow,” highlighting a critical technical and user experience hurdle for many platforms.
Deliberate digital shoppers demand flexibility
Singaporean online shoppers are discerning and informed, with 90 per cent of shoppers stating they are “aware whether a purchase is local or cross-border”. Their decision-making process for international purchases is notably influenced by several factors, including “affordable shipping,” “transparent fees,” and critically, “the ability to use their preferred payment methods”.
When it comes to preferred payment methods for international online purchases, consumers favour a mix of traditional and digital options:
- Debit cards
- Credit cards
- Digital payment methods such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and GrabPay
This underlines the necessity for merchants to offer a diverse range of secure and convenient payment solutions to cater to varied consumer preferences.
Capitalising on sales Seasons: Localised campaigns are critical
The survey emphatically states that “localised campaigns during sales periods are critical” for engaging Singaporean shoppers. A substantial proportion of consumers strategically time their purchases around key promotional events:
- 77 per cent of shoppers align their buying with Black Friday.
- 72 per cent time their purchases around double digit sales days (11.11, 12.12).
- 58 per cent coordinate their shopping with Lunar New Year.
These findings present a clear roadmap for e-commerce businesses and tech platforms to plan their marketing and inventory strategies around these high-volume shopping periods, leveraging localised campaigns to maximise reach and conversions.
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The insights from the Airwallex survey offer a compelling data-driven perspective for tech startups and e-commerce players aiming to deepen their footprint in Singapore’s lucrative cross-border market. Prioritising transparent checkout processes, offering flexible payment options, ensuring mobile-friendliness, and strategically deploying localised campaigns during peak sales seasons will be paramount for success in this dynamic landscape.
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The image was generated using ChatGPT.
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