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Tag: survey

  • Holiday Sales Set to Soar as FedEx Survey Reveals Business Confidence Bolstered by E-commerce Shopping Festivals

    Holiday Sales Set to Soar as FedEx Survey Reveals Business Confidence Bolstered by E-commerce Shopping Festivals

    Federal Express Corporation (FedEx), a global leader in express transportation, has shared valuable data from a survey conducted to understand attitudes and trends related to the year-end festive shopping period among businesses and consumers in the Asia Pacific and European regions.

    Survey Insights

    The survey, conducted in September 2025, collated responses from 850 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and 850 consumers from 13 Asia Pacific markets, as well as more than 1,200 SMEs from nine European markets. The study aimed to identify business expectations for the holiday shopping season and highlight consumer preferences and concerns.

    The results indicated a strong sense of optimism, with over 70% of Asia Pacific businesses and more than 80% of European businesses anticipating improved holiday sales compared to the previous year. Asia Pacific businesses are preparing for a significant cross-border demand from Europe during the year-end shopping season.

    This rise in e-commerce across borders and the influence of major online shopping festivals are driving demand. This year, 88% of Asia Pacific consumers are planning to do at least a quarter of their holiday shopping online, with 53% intending to ramp up their online activity. Shopping festivals such as Double 11, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday are particularly influential, with 83% of Asian shoppers incorporating these events into their holiday purchasing plans. SMEs are modifying their strategies accordingly, with 91% of Asia Pacific businesses and 83% of European businesses considering these e-commerce shopping festivals vital for capturing seasonal demand.

    Consumer Preferences

    While there is strong demand among Asia Pacific shoppers for European goods, more product choices, competitive delivery speed, and costs remain paramount. Almost nine in ten Asia Pacific shoppers identify efficient shipping as crucial when buying holiday gifts online.

    However, delays in delivery (55%) and high shipping costs (45%) are the main issues faced in previous seasons, highlighting the need for e-tailers to enhance logistics performance and customer experience. These concerns directly influence purchasing decisions, with more than half of Asia Pacific consumers suggesting that lower shipping costs (53%) and faster delivery times (50%) would make them more likely to buy from European vendors.

    Business Response

    Businesses in both regions are elevating their efforts to meet growing customer expectations. Close to one-third of businesses in the Asia Pacific (29%) and Europe (33%) are improving their fulfillment and delivery operations to better accommodate cross-border demand. Over one-third of enterprises in the Asia Pacific (34%) and Europe (32%) are bolstering their customer service capabilities. Interestingly, 85% of businesses in both these regions are confident about meeting delivery deadlines during this year’s holiday season.

    Integrated E-commerce and Digital Logistics Solutions

    Salil Chari, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Customer Experience at FedEx Asia Pacific, said, “In Asia Pacific, the festive gifting season extends beyond Christmas and into the Lunar New Year, forming one of the world’s most dynamic periods for cross-border commerce. E-tailers are poised to maximize sales with the surge in e-commerce across Asia Pacific and Europe. We assist businesses in delivering superior customer experiences and optimizing logistics, particularly during the business holiday season, through our extensive network and smart, digital solutions.”

    FedEx’s comprehensive e-commerce solutions aid e-tailers in streamlining order fulfillment. The company has integrated its Ship Manager platform with prominent e-commerce marketplaces such as Shopify and BigCommerce, allowing Asia Pacific e-tailers to manage shipments and paperwork directly from their online orders. These user-friendly, seamless services are essential for e-commerce merchants, especially during the bustling holiday season when order volumes spike.

    To meet increasing expectations for speed and reliability, FedEx offers services such as FedEx® International Connect Plus (FICP), which enables merchants to ship within the Asia Pacific and to the U.S. and Europe. This affordable international solution typically delivers most shipments within one to three business days, closely aligning with consumer demand for speedy delivery.

    Questions & Answers

    What is the primary expectation of Asia Pacific consumers when shopping online for the holiday season?
    Efficient shipping is the top expectation of almost nine in ten Asia Pacific consumers when they shop online for the holiday season.

    What percentage of Asia Pacific consumers plan to do their holiday shopping online?
    According to the survey, 88% of Asia Pacific consumers plan to conduct at least a quarter of their holiday shopping online.

    What actions are businesses in the Asia Pacific and Europe taking to meet growing customer expectations?
    Approximately one-third of businesses in both regions are enhancing their fulfillment and delivery operations to accommodate increased cross-border demand, while over one-third are strengthening their customer service capabilities.

  • Coinbase Survey Reveals: Over 60% Singaporeans Own Cryptocurrency – A Deep Dive into Their Investment Trends

    Coinbase Survey Reveals: Over 60% Singaporeans Own Cryptocurrency – A Deep Dive into Their Investment Trends

    Cryptocurrencies have gained significant traction in Singapore, with the majority of its citizens having some level of interaction with the digital asset, as revealed by a recent survey.

    Singaporean Interest in Cryptocurrencies

    A substantial portion of Singaporeans, amounting to 61 percent, are in possession of some form of cryptocurrency, according to recently published survey data. Unsurprisingly, the predominant demographic among these investors are individuals aged 18 to 34 years, who make up 70 percent of the group. Of these, about 68 percent are male.

    Investment Approach: HODL vs Trading

    The study also revealed the investment habits of cryptocurrency owners. The majority, 58 percent, were found to be long-term investors, a strategy commonly referred to as HODL or “hold on for dear life”. On the other hand, 22 percent were classified as occasional traders, with another 20 percent identified as active traders. Remarkably, 42 percent of the survey participants had been investing in cryptocurrencies for over two years.

    The investment allocation was also explored in the study, with 74 percent of respondents stating that 10 percent or less of their portfolios was invested in digital assets. These portfolios typically contained an average of three different types of cryptocurrency. The median portfolio size ranged within S$3,000 ($2,300) to S$5,000.

    Cryptocurrency Price Predictions

    Looking ahead, 25 percent of the respondents anticipate the price of Bitcoin to reach between $100,000 and $150,000 within the next year. Meanwhile, 15 percent predict a rise above $150,000. However, the majority hold a more conservative prediction, expecting the value to fall within the $50,000 to $100,000 bracket. Only 18 percent of the respondents foresee Bitcoin dropping below $50,000. The price of Bitcoin at the time of the survey’s publication was approximately $86,000.

    The data for this report was collected from a pool of 3,513 active retail investors and other interested individuals in Singapore. The survey was conducted between August 15 and August 19 of the current year.

    Questions & Answers

    What percentage of Singaporeans own cryptocurrency?
    According to a recent survey, 61 percent of Singaporeans own some form of cryptocurrency.

    What is the average investment allocation to cryptocurrencies in Singapore?
    The survey found that 74 percent of investors have allocated 10% or less of their portfolios to cryptocurrency holdings.

    What are the future price expectations for Bitcoin among Singaporean investors?
    Within the next year, 25 percent of the respondents expect Bitcoin’s price to reach $100,000 to $150,000, 15 percent predict a rise above $150,000, and the majority forecast a value between $50,000 and $100,000.

  • Google Earth Timelapse Finally arrives on Mobile

    Google Earth Timelapse Finally arrives on Mobile

    The zoomable time-lapse video feature that allows Google Earth users to see how the planet’s surface has changed in the last 35 years, Google Earth Timelapse is now available on mobile. The Mountain View company has just announced it has released a new update that adds two additional years of imagery, as well as mobile support and visual improvements to make exploring more user-friendly.

    Besides being able to see how various parts of the Earth have changed in the last 35 years, Google Earth Timelapse allows more in-dept geospatial analysis since it includes more than 15 million satellite images coming from the US Geological Suvey/NASA Landsat and European Sentinel programs.

    Naturally, Google Earth Timelapse is available tablets as well, not just on smartphones. Apparently, mobile browsers would disable the ability to autoplay videos, which is absolutely mandatory for Timelapse. However, Chrome and Firefox have reinstated support for autoplay (sound muted), which is why Google was able to add mobile support with the latest update.

    Along with support for mobile, Google also added the new Material Design to Timelapse, which features simple, clean lines and clear focal ares to make is easier for usersd to navigate Google Earth Timelapse’s huge imagery database. Also, a new “Maps Mode” toggle is now available for mobile users to enable them to navigate the map using Google Maps.

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  • Hawaiki launches marine route survey for trans-Pacific cable

    Hawaiki launches marine route survey for trans-Pacific cable

    Hawaiki Cable and subsea cable provider TE SubCom have launched a marine route survey for the planned cable linking Australia and New Zealand with Hawaii and the mainland US.

    Construction of the 14,000km cable system is currently scheduled for completion in mid-2018. As well as the main route, the system will have options to expand to several South Pacific islands.

    Once complete, the Hawaiki Cable will deliver more than 30Tbps of capacity, making it the highest cross-sectional capacity link between the US and Australia/New Zealand.

    Hawaiki has already signed on AWS, Vodafone, REANZ and American Samoa Telecom as anchor customers for the new carrier-neutral cable system.

    “Each stage of this groundbreaking project is important, but after very carefully planning our trans-pacific route and conducting an extensive survey of each landing site, we are extremely pleased to launch the marine route survey, which will give us data necessary to safely and properly deploy the system in the coming months,” Hawaiki CEO Remi Galasso said.

    “The team is doing a great job; we are on time and on budget. We are confident that with our trusted supplier, TE SubCom, our cable will be delivered as planned in mid-2018, less than two years from now.”

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  • More than half of Hongkongers surveyed say they plan to buy no Christmas presents

    More than half of Hongkongers surveyed say they plan to buy no Christmas presents

    Christmas holidays are usually the peak consumption season for both tourists and local residents, but this year retailers are expecting a grimmer picture amid the economic downturn affected by the slowdown in China and strong local currency.

    A study shows that Hong Kong people are cutting their Christmas budget to tackle the difficult economic environment this year, with 64 per cent people saying they won’t spend more than HK$1,000 on Christmas shopping and 52 per cent saying they won’t buy any Christmas gifts this year.

    The survey, conducted by Hong Kong Research Association, found Hong Kong citizens are rather cautious about this year’s Christmas consumption, as only 16 per cent of 1,084 interviewees expect spending more money than last year, while 23 per cent said they would reduce spending .

    Adding to the problem, it seems that even if Hongkongers do plan to go shopping for Christmas, they prefer to buy overseas.

    “Even local people wouldn’t buy stuff in Hong Kong ,” said Mariana Kou, retail analyst at brokerage CLSA, adding consumer products are much cheaper in Japan and Korea, as they benefited from weaker local currencies.

    She expected the poor consumption this year will further dampen sales during Christmas, the traditional shopping season, which has already been challenged by the declining tourist arrivals in last six months.

    “The Christmas sales this year will decline for sure” she said, adding the luxury sector would be the one suffering the most.

    Even though most Hong Kong people are cutting their Christmas shopping lists to save money for rainy days, the enthusiasm for shopping is still running high among top earners in the city.

    The same research showed that the wealthiest social class was the only one among the four that has responded with growing budgets for shopping this Christmas, with 13 per cent more interviewees planning to increase Christmas consumption this year than those who plan to reduce spending.

    “Despite the volatilities in the financial and property markets, rich people still have a decent wealth base.” said Wyman Ng, research officer at Hong Kong Research Association, adding “ their behaviour is less affected”.

    Meanwhile, holiday shoppers in Causeway Bay who looked up yesterday would have seen seven people climbing above the huge screen in Times Square to make a statement against the fashion of wasteful consumption during holiday seasons.

    The Greenpeace activists unfurled a huge banner across a big television screen at the iconic shopping mall, featuring the message “Buy Smart Buy Less”.

    The group said Hongkongers trash garments at an alarming speed, which has put a heavy burden on the environment. It urged shoppers to step up and break the cycle of overconsumption

    The Census and Statistics Department also revealed yesterday that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures for November rose by 2.4% over the same month a year earlier, the same as that in October 2015.