On December 9, Federal Express Corporation (FedEx) released the results of a survey conducted among businesses and consumers in the Asia Pacific region and Europe regarding their purchasing trends and attitudes during the year-end holiday season.
More than 70% of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Asia-Pacific region and more than 80% of SMEs in Europe expect to see sales exceeding last year's figures this holiday season. 80% of SMEs in Japan also forecast sales to be the same as or higher than last year.
Cross-border e-commerce and major online shopping events are driving demand, with 88% of consumers in the Asia Pacific region planning to do more than a quarter of their holiday shopping online, and 53% saying they will increase the proportion of online shopping compared to last year. 91% of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Asia Pacific region and 83% of SMEs in Europe consider e-commerce shopping events essential for capturing seasonal demand. 72% of SMEs in Japan share a similar view, further highlighting the increasing importance of online sales during the holiday season.
In this context, it has become clear that consumers in the Asia-Pacific region have a strong interest in European products, and that, in addition to product range, they prioritize delivery speed and cost. The main challenges cited in the previous year were delivery delays (55%) and high delivery costs (45%), indicating that e-commerce businesses are required to improve their logistics performance and customer experience.
These concerns are influencing consumer purchasing behavior, with more than half of consumers in the Asia Pacific region saying they would be more likely to purchase from European retailers if shipping costs were reduced (53%) or delivery times were shortened (50%).
Kei Kubota, Managing Director and representative of FedEx in Japan, said, "The holiday season is a great opportunity for Japanese SMEs to showcase their products to consumers around the world. We embody FedEx's Purple Promise (the best FedEx experience for all customers) through our global network, reliable service, and convenient digital tools, helping our customers ensure that their products and customers receive joy from overseas buyers."
FedEx shortens shipping time for export cargo from Aichi and Gifu prefectures by one day.
