YANGON, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- On a typical weekday in his Yangon office this week, Soe Aung, a 32-year-old IT technician, browses the internet for cable organizers -- items he finds hard to locate in local stores.
Like many in Myanmar, Soe Aung said he embraced online shopping for its convenience and accessibility.
"I mostly buy products online when they're cheaper than in physical stores or hard to find locally," he said, adding that he often orders IT accessories this way. "I even bought three computer monitors for my office last month, as they were more affordable online than in physical stores," he said.
In Myanmar, the online shopping landscape has evolved rapidly. Platforms like Shop.com.mm, rgo47, foodpanda, and GrabFood allow consumers to order almost anything with a few taps on their smartphones. Various mobile payment options, such as KBZPay, AYAPay, Wave Pay, Visa, and Mastercard, make shopping across platforms smooth, local consumers said.
Soe Aung said he also orders food online, often for his wife. "Many large restaurants are now on foodpanda and Grab. We can get the foods we want and save travel time and costs," he said.
With internet access, Soe Aung said he has even joined online courses offered by lecturers across the globe on sites like Udemy. "These courses save me time and money. I prefer online courses for certain subjects and hybrid formats for some others," he said.
According to Myanmar's Ministry of Commerce, the shift to online shopping and online businesses, fueled by a surge in internet users, has been growing increasingly in the post-COVID-19 period. Online shopping reduces costs and provides greater convenience for consumers, it said.
Ma Cherry, a 29-year-old professional in Maubin, shared how online shopping has become indispensable for special occasions. "This month, I wanted to buy my grandmother a gift, but I didn't have time to shop in person," she said. "Shopping online lets me send thoughtful gifts even when I'm busy. The selection is impressive."
Cherry is not only a consumer but also a retailer since online businesses started emerging. "In the past two years, I even sold some hoodies online to university students for the winter seasons. I only sold them for one to two months a year," she said.
To develop the e-commerce sector in Myanmar, the government and related organizations are also working to help MSMEs (micro, small, and medium enterprises) transition to online business and foster competition in the industry, an official from the commerce ministry told Xinhua on Tuesday.
For the growth of e-commerce businesses in Myanmar, the Ministry of Commerce launched an e-commerce registration system on Oct. 2, 2023, issuing certificates for online sellers, he said.
The official added that the ministry has also established laws and policies to regulate online businesses and protect consumers from fraud and data privacy breaches.
From October last year to October this year, Myanmar's Ministry of Commerce already issued approximately 8,891 online registration certificates for online sellers, the official added. ■