‘Phl e-commerce thriving, but logistics still costly’

The Philippines benefits from the highest level of consumer confidence in the e-commerce space, but this optimism could eventually fade if the government fails to address longstanding issues on logistics costs and infrastructure.

- By ELIJAH FELICE ROSALES

In a report titled “The Next Leap for E-Commerce in Southeast Asia,” market analyst Blackbox Research said the country has scored the highest on consumer optimism on e-commerce among three developing economies in Southeast Asia.

The Philippines registered a score of 7.93, while Malaysia landed 7.54 and Vietnam got 7.46.

However, the report said Philipines also deals with the hardest challenge in e-commerce, which is logistics.

Blackbox Research said logistics costs in the Philippines could consume as much as 30 percent of the order value as against the eight to 12 percent range in mature markets.