TEMPO.CO, Jakarta-E-commerce observer from Bandung Technology Institute (ITB), Kun Arief Cahyantoro estimates the use of e-commerce application through smartphones will drastically increase in 2017. “The increase is estimated to reach 172.8 percent,” Kun said in Locanda Cafe on Monday, February 22, 2016.
In January 2016, it is recorded that 88.1 million people have became active smartphone users while the number who purchase online is only at 12.82 million. The number of online buyers via smartphone is predicted to jump surpassing the number of PC users.
With the increase of e-commerce app users via smartphone of 172.8 percent, the number of consumers could reach 34.97 million. Meanwhile, online purchases through PC is just 30.25 million.
This year, the highest number of online shoppers are still from PC or tablet PC users with 21.14 million, whereas the number of mobile phone shoppers is only 12.82 percent.
The number could be projected because in 2014, online shoppers through mobile purchase is only 4.86 million, but then experienced a hike of 155 percent in 2015. “If it could reach 12.82 million in 2016; it will reach 34.97 million in 2017, or up by 172.8 percent,” Kun said.
The trend could change due to several considerations, one of them is the practicality. Smartphones are considered to be more practical as using PC will require longer time.
Consumers will consider easy access, so they prefer to carry a smartphone rather than a laptop or tablet PC.
In October 2012, the population of mobile subscriber is greater than the Indonesian population. While in July 2009, Indonesian mobile growth exceeded the global mobile growth. “People no longer need laptpop. Smartphone is the new computer,” said Kun.
LARISSA HUDA
