By NUR HAZIQAH A MALEK / Pic By HUSSEIN SHAHARUDDIN

The most popular categories when it comes to online shopping are fashion, beauty and technology, which gained the highest sales from the MYCybersale 2017 installment, according to the National ICT Association of Malaysia.

The younger generation seems to prefer the ease of shopping online as opposed to physically heading out to the malls or a brick-and-mortar store.

Abdullah Ahmad Sazili, 25, who is the MD of Adcelera Sdn Bhd said he spends about RM1,000 a month shopping online for fashion, electronics, power tools and home furniture.

“I used to spend around RM400 to RM500 per month, but it has doubled now, especially during the tax holiday,” he told The Malaysian Reserve (TMR).

Abdullah said he only shops for brands he is loyal to as this allows him to control his purchase.

“I opt for higher quality items and brands that I know of because it means less tax, more extra cash and more purchasing power for me,” he said.

Maker studio Malaysia coordinator and designer Siti Nabihah Mohamad Rozy, 24, said for her, she prefers to shop online when it comes to fashion items such as clothing, accessories, shoes and handbags. She also shops for skincare items online.

“I used to shop online three times a month. Now, it’s like twice a week shopping for these items,” she said.

Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Master of Architecture student Nur Alia Nasharuddin, like Abdullah and Siti Nabihah, also prefers the ease and convenience of shopping online when it comes to fashion, personal care and household items.

She, however, added that she only shops from three e-commerce platforms.

On the tax holiday, she does not feel there has been much change after the zero-rated Goods and Services Tax (GST).

“I don’t really see much difference on online shopping platforms, but the price difference is definitely obvious on physical stores,” she said. The one thing that puzzles Nur Alia, however, is the shipping cost.

“I think it’s odd that now there’s no GST, a shipping fee exists when the shipping fee had always been free,” she said.

A research article entitled “E-commerce Adoption and Analysis of the Popular E-commerce Business Sites in Malaysia” recently revealed that the group that utilises e-commerce the most is between the ages of 20 and 29 years old with the majority, about 44%, earning below RM36,000 per year.

The article further revealed that although more and more people are opting to shop online, concerns over the quality of the products as well as privacy is among the deterring factors.

Previously, TMR reported that logistics and its dire need for constant development is one of the biggest challenges faced by the e-commerce industry, alongside scepticism towards the megatrend.