TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The plethora of discounts offered by e-commerce platforms are proven to attract attention and help increase the gross merchandise value (GMV) up to 100 percent compared to the previous year, especially after Indonesia saw a nationwide November 11, 2020, dubbed the ‘11.11 sale.’

“The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased the online shopping trend,” said Erick Wicaksono, marketing VP of one of Indonesia’s prominent e-commerce platforms, Bukalapak, on Wednesday, November 11.

Erick revealed that the items that were most sold in the e-commerce brand he leads were mostly those that garnered popularity following a lifedata-style shift caused by the COVID-19 social restriction, such as bicycles, gaming equipment, electronic gadgets, and household items.

Another e-commerce platform Shopee said to Tempo that the ‘11.11 sale’ saw a six-fold increase in transactions since the sale was introduced on Tuesday midnight.

Meanwhile, Tokopedia has also participated in the sale hype with a different marketing data-style by not focusing on November 11, but by offering sale festivals on the 25th of every month dubbed the Indonesian shopping time (WIB).

The Indonesian E-commerce Association (IdEA) chairperson Bima Laga said the plethora of online shopping festivals which offers discounts were able to increase consumers’ buying power amidst the challenging economic condition caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also Read: E-commerce Association Reports Transactions Growth amid the Pandemic

ALI AKHMAD NOOR