KUALA LUMPUR: Hari Raya is just around the corner and people want to look good with new smartphones.
So what are among the factors people look at when they plan to buy a new phone?
Online marketplace for Southeast Asia and Taiwan Shopee (https://shopee.com.my) recently conducted a survey among its buyers on the factors that influence their mobile devices purchase.
The factors include:
1. Let me take a selfie!
High-quality front-facing cameras allow consumers to snap and post their must-have selfies with family, friends and of course at times, the celebrities they bump into in the streets. Models such as Samsung S8, iPhone and and OnePlus 3T receive best reviews for this purpose.
2. If the price is right
Purchasing a mobile phone is not an impulse buy as one would for clothes or shoes. It is a process that requires much thought. Eighty five percent of buyers spend days searching for the lowest price of their favourite mobile phone models. They would actively compare prices for several days before completing the purchase to ensure they get the best out of their mobile investment.
3. Tech and specs
Buyers with an extensive technical knowledge look for phones with higher specs such as RAM and camera resolution. Such heavy-duty phones are suitable for avid gamers and travellers who use their mobile phones to replace the bulky DSLR cameras.
Besides the factors, Shopee also found out during its Shopee Mobile Trivia! campaign recently that:
1. It’s a guy thing: During the campaign, 70 percent buyers are male and the rest are female, boosting Shopee’s male database.
2. Android vs iOS: Eighty percent of purchases are for Android-based phones, while the remaining 20 percent go to iOS as Apple fans are known to be loyal to the brand.
3. Age is not just a number: Record shows that buyers between the age of 25 and 35 have the highest purchasing power, with a total of 40 percent of the total mobile phone sales, followed by tech-savvy youngsters aged 18 to 25 (30 percent) and above 35 (20 percent) and Others (10 percent).
4. Accessorising is key: To complete the mobile phone purchase, buyers will also add on micro USB cable, screen protectors and powerbanks into their shopping cart.
5. Time is of the essence: Most buyers enjoy checking the latest updates on Shopee app around 2pm and make their mobile purchases, making lunch-time the highest traffic record. 11pm is the second highest traffic for buyers as they take their own sweet time before going to bed to browse and buy. Followed by 6pm (after work) and 12 noon (just before lunch break).
Currently, Shopee is running its latest edition of the Lowest Price Guaranteed Mobile Phone Sale with sales up to 80 per cent on brands such as Apple, Samsung and Xiaomi. This follows the success from the previous run in April which recorded three times growth in phones sold.
“As Shopee is totally free to use for sellers, we are constantly thinking of ways to pass on all savings to the buyers. Hence, we are launching our Lowest Price Guaranteed Mobile Phone Campaign for the entire month of June, 2017 for our loyal users. If they find another platform that sells the same phone at a cheaper price, we are paying back the price difference at 120 per cent in cash vouchers,” said Ian Ho, Shopee’s regional managing director.“
As an add-on to its #CahayaRaya Campaign, Shopee’s Lowest Price Guaranteed campaign will kickstart with special highlights for mobile phone lovers such as Samsung S8, iPhone 7 and Xiaomi Note 4 along with powerbanks, wearables, audio accessories and refurbished phones.