Lazada Thailand says its e-commerce merchants rose 30% last year

The company will provide more innovative features and services to attract more shoppers to its platform, Thanida said.

Although she did not provide comprehensive details, she did give some examples. Lazada will make it easier for users to get refunds and accelerate deliveries, Thanida said.

Its average delivery time is 1.1 days, she added.

The company recently added a buy now, pay later option, LazPayLater, gift wrapping, and an electrical-appliance installation service.

It also launched LazLive, an interactive service that allows merchants to chat live with consumers, a virtual try-on service, free or low-cost sample-sized products, and LazBeauty, which groups fashion and beauty products in one location.

The momentum of the Thai economy's recovery will ensure a positive outlook for e-commerce, Thanida said. The Thai e-commerce market will grow by about 13% this year, accounting for 16% of total retail industry growth, she said.

This forecast is consistent with Kasikorn Research's recent report on e-commerce market trends. It shows that the Thai e-commerce sector will continue to grow in 2023 as people become more familiar with online shopping and merchants see online platforms as a necessary tool to expand business rather than an option, the report said.

Lazada Group’s "Transforming Southeast Asia - From Discovery to Delivery" report puts the number of Thai consumers shopping online at least once a month at 74%, with 25% doing so multiple times per week. The number of Thai e-commerce users is expected to increase 61.8% to 43.5 million people, by 2025, the report said.

Thanida insisted that Lazada Thailand's main goal for 2023 is to strengthen its position as the country's leading e-commerce platform by investing in a sustainable ecosystem.

"Lazada has demonstrated that we are striving for long-term and sustainable growth through end-to-end e-commerce. This not only benefits local sellers and buyers, but it also strengthens local communities and propels Thailand to the forefront of the digital economy," she said.

The focus of the e-commerce market will switch from pricing and promotion to improving the customer experience through increased engagement, she added.

The company held its press conference as it prepares to launch a “mega sale" from March 3-11.

The sale will include discounts of up to 90%, allow consumers to get access codes for a maximum of six discounts, and offer free shipping with no minimum spending requirement, Lazada Thailand's chief marketing officer Chayaporn Lattisophonkul said.

The sale, along with two-day sales and other promotions, will encourage more Thai consumers to shop online year round, she said.

Lazada Group describes itself as the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia. The Singapore-based company has been active in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam for 10 years.

Regionally, it has 160 million consumers and more than 1 million sellers who are active each month, it said. It aims to increase the number of consumers using its platforms to 300 million by 2030, with a goal of reaching US$100 billion in annual sales.