The Covid pandemic undoubtedly had a huge impact on consumers all around the world. The new consumer behaviours span all areas of consumer lifestyles, from how we work, shop, entertain to how we look after ourselves.

Surveys conducted by Rakuten Insight on their own proprietary panels have shown that it is critical to know your consumer in these times. As such, this survey was conducted online, using Rakuten Insight proprietary panels with 1,046 respondents in Malaysia, to gauge consumer attitudes and behaviours in 4 categories: Financial Digitalization, Entertainment, Online Shopping & Wellness.

Key insights which have emerged include:

Finance Digitalization: Malaysian consumers are moving away from traditional cash payments towards digital payments, providing opportunities for many in the Fintech space.

• ● 91% have used an e-wallet & 87% would give digital banking a chance.
• ● 56% report a decrease in using cash for payments compared to a year ago. 

Entertainment & Leisure: With the relaxation of Covid19 protocols, travel & spending time with the family are high on the agenda.

• ● 50% of Malaysians are looking to travel overseas in the next six months, with Asia (81%) the most popular intended destination.
• ● Malaysians focus on spending more weekends/free time with friends and family (68%)

Online Shopping: Popular before the pandemic but grew significantly during lockdown.

• ● 77% make online purchases at least once a month with 37% purchasing at least once a week.
• ● Shopee (90%) and Lazada (71%) are Malaysians’ top preferences for online shopping. Other online platforms trail behind.

Wellness: The Covid19 pandemic greatly impacted the physical and mental wellness of Malaysians.

• ● 87% agreed that the increased cost of living after the pandemic affected their life.
• ● 45% also rated their quality of life as average and below.

Download the full report here:

Related articles: Report – Understanding the Post-Pandemic Traveller, 2022 Impact of COVID-19 on consumer behaviour, Snapshot: Retail Insights

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