Asia-Pacific under the microscope of MasterCard

[img_assist|nid=8444|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=60]The recent survey conducted by MasterCard has shown that the online shopping in the Asia-Pacific region is growing by 23.3 percent annually and is expected to reach US$168.7 billion by 2011. And Indian and Chinese markets play the main role in this boost. For example, the study says that by 2010 the number of shopping population will be 480 million. The list of top online spenders is headed by Singapore and South Korea and is ended by Thailand and Hong Kong.

Speaking generally, the whole region of the Asia-Pacific is growing and developing very fast. The study reveals that the most part of the polled Asian online shoppers usually plan their shopping in advance and even conduct the online researches on the items they are going to purchase. More over 34% of them have said that they "hardly ever bought on impulse".

MasterCard assures that the present figure is not a limit and the number will be even higher as soon as the population will have more money.  So, for example, it was said that China has "one of the lowest" Internet penetration rates –only 15.9% while the shopping rate is 70%. As soon as the Global Network becomes available for everybody the rates will grow immediately. This situation is true not only for the Chinese market.

In conclusion, just some other figures: in Singapore and South Korea nearly 10% of the shoppers very often make purchases without special necessity. In China and Thailand this number is 30%.