Explore Singapore's Top 20 eCommerce Companies and Platforms
Overview of the eCommerce Industry in Singapore
Singapore is a natural hub for businesses across the Asia Pacific region with its global transportation network, excellent infrastructure, and world-class connectivity. Since 1986, it has remained one of the busiest ports in the world. It stands out as one of the world's giants in terms of entrepreneurial culture and structure.
As the Asia Pacific Region expanded the market for cross-border eCommerce platforms, Singapore has placed itself at the centre, emerging as a key destination for eCommerce platforms. Its location, highly developed Internet market, and an advanced digital economy fueled Singapore's spot as one of the emerging eCommerce hubs.
In 2021, the Singapore government built their five-pronged strategy to help local businesses pursue eCommerce opportunities and to build the country's status as a global and regional eCommerce hub.
The Singapore eCommerce revenue is projected to reach 19.6 billion USD by the end of 2027.
As Singapore further cements its title as one of the key eCommerce hubs, several ASEAN eCommerce playmakers have chosen to establish headquarters in the country.
Now that we already know what's behind Singapore's success in the eCommerce industry, we've highlighted the top eCommerce companies in Singapore that became established playmakers in the country and the world:
Since its establishment in 2011, Lazada has become one of Singapore's leading e-commerce sites and has even earned the moniker of "Amazon of Southeast Asia."
Lazada also became a hub for the world's most popular online merchants serving multiple products from fashion and lifestyle products, to groceries, toys, household products, and technology.
The marketplace has adopted a tactic known as target outranking share, which allowed it to surpass its competitors through strategic key search phrases.
What makes it unique?
Lazada offers a convenient buying experience via web and mobile access through a variety of payment options and free returns and exchanges. Aside from this, its reach across South East Asia can help interested merchants to do multi-channel selling and reach any part of the world.
If you're a business following the footsteps of Lazada in strategic key search phrases, the best eCommerce SEO service in Singapore might help you achieve the number one spot.
Qoo10 is a leading eCommerce company in Singapore known for its Korean merchandise and women's and fashion categories. It was first renamed eBay in 2012 after eBay purchased Gmarket as a joint venture with Giosis. After that, Qoo10 grew beyond Singapore's borders.
Qoo10 pushes its products regularly through discounts and promotions, which helped in its popularity and retaining its customers. They also offer a comprehensive logistics network where consumers can receive their ordered products even within three hours after purchase.
The marketplace is known for women's products and fashion, but it also boasts a diverse selection of products related to home goods. You can also book tour packages, hotel accommodations and leisure activities through their platform.
What makes it unique?
Qoo10 is one of the first companies to enter the industry and has become a household name even before the online shopping revolution. It also started bulk buying and bidding, which were innovative at the time and not yet available to other platforms. Its daily promotion helped it obtain a competitive advantage over other platforms.
Zalora is one of the biggest e-commerce companies in Singapore for independent designers and small businesses who're looking for ways to showcase their products to the public. Consumers can purchase products through online portals such as the company's website or their mobile app.
In 2021, Zalora built a separate marketplace to sell things easier on the eCommerce site, which helps users sell their items directly to customers. It also has a blog containing useful information about fashion, lifestyle, and beauty.
Zalora offers a 30-day window to return goods and a 15% off voucher when you sign up for their newsletter. Purchases over 40 SGD will qualify you for free delivery.
What makes it unique?
Zalora has different sites catered to and localised to each country they service. Its categories can help you navigate the products you're looking for easily as segregate cleanly all products. Aside from that, their blog posts give you insider information on the latest trends and fashion, which helps when you want to know the latest trends before purchasing a product.
Carousell started in the same year as Zalora. Since then, it has attracted investments from startups, Rakuten, Sequoia Capital, and Darius Cheung to name a few. It offers a consumer-to-consumer marketplace designed for mobile devices which makes selling, buying and listing easy and simple for interested merchants. This leading eCommerce website is also popular in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and other adjacent regions.
Products sold on its website range from automobiles, motorcycles, vehicle accessories, fashion, health and beauty, and even luxury items. It doesn't have a limit on what product you can sell over their website, unless it's illegal of course.
What makes it unique?
Carousell doesn't charge any fee for listing your product and is fairly easy to use. All you need to do is install their app on your mobile device before you start selling and buying.
Despite its late debut in the eCommerce industry, Shopee has now become one of the most popular eCommerce businesses in Singapore.
Retailers and vendors can sell their products on the platform without a commission, which allows Shopee and merchants to provide competitive prices to customers. Shopee will collect payment on behalf of the seller, and will only release the money when the customer has received their items.
Shopee also offers what they call 'Shopee Prizes' where consumers can earn coins, vouchers and prizes through in-app games.
Each regional Shopee market has its own cultural, marketing, and linguistic characteristics which allows the company to employ data science to achieve sustainability. The online marketplace now serves 11 markets: Singapore, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Brazil, Mexico, Columbia, and Chile.
What makes it unique?
Its growth can be owed to its 'shoppertainment' where its consumers are treated to various broadcasting events and many more. Shopee also has concentrated on the local market of each region, tailoring its app and services to each unique country.
If you want to follow Shopee's footsteps in localised content, here are some local SEO services you can consider.
Ezbuy is one of the most popular eCommerce sites in Singapore that offers a variety of products from home, beauty, and fashion. Its products come from the US, Taiwan, and Korea, while its platform is available to other South East Asia countries like Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Customers can place their orders through their website or by accessing the app on their mobile devices. Aside from purchasing products, customers can also transport foods worldwide as Ezbuy now concentrates on offering forwarding services.
What makes it unique?
Ezbuy offers a flat shipping fee for its prime customers, which has pulled and retained customers. It used cost containment to effectively offer lower prices and is the first company to offer an English interface, as it first started as a way to buy products from other countries.
Redmart is an e-commerce site that's great for homeowners. You can find home essentials on its website including groceries, baby products, wine, and even pet food. If you need specific ingredients for a recipe you're trying, they also offer fruits, seafood, and vegetables.
Redmart was first established in 2011 as a platform to help customers save money and time when doing grocery shopping. Six years later, it was purchased by Lazada.
What makes it unique?
Redmart's services are available every day of the week and the timeline for its deliveries is 2 hours. It was launched as the first grocery delivery service and online supermarket in Singapore before Lazada's acquisition.
Fair Price On is an e-commerce company that has now become a household name. On its website, you'd be able to buy baby products, pet products and fresh food among 13, 000 different products in its catalogue.
This online shopping platform uses data analytics to employ customer-centric promotions. You also have the freedom to schedule a delivery that works best for your schedule.
What makes it unique?
You can choose the most convenient time to receive your products on your doorstep or a convenient place for a pick-up. If you're fond of wine, you can also avail of their 'Just Wine Club' to get member discounts on their wine selection.
eBay Singapore is the local site of eBay US which operates as a free marketplace where anyone can advertise or sell their products. It is estimated that the online platform receives around 2 million monthly visits. It offers various products in multiple categories including automobile, electronics and industrial products. Customers can select from its variety of vendors and retailers. It has over 11 billion active listings from 26 million sellers.
eBay sources its profits through various sources such as valuation fees, contractual service expenses, service costs, referral commissions, and listings. If you're an online retailer, you can also advertise and sell your goods on their website.
What makes it unique?
The availability of eBay in multiple regions helps merchants to sell their products anywhere in the world. Consumers can also purchase products from other parts of the world, including those not available in their region.
Sephora first started in 1969 in France as a boutique specialising in beauty products. Since then, it has grown into the massive corporation it is today, servicing more than 32 countries worldwide. Its current marketing strategy integrates online and in-store experiences to encourage interaction on the Internet.
It was found that a majority of Sephora's customers would first check out the products in their mobile app to learn about recommendations, reviews and prices before purchasing them in the store.
Since most purchasers of beauty products rely on Youtube reviews and lessons before making decisions, they have also invested heavily in video content.
What makes it unique?
Sephora's mobile app is designed like interacting with a sales attendant, which helps their consumers reach purchasing decisions. Their marketing material content is specially designed based on their customer's buying behaviours, which is both beneficial to their target and the requirements of each consumer.
Reebonz is an e-commerce platform boasting around 4.5 million members and over 100, 000 products for jewellery, shoes, watches, new bags, and even pre-owned bags. Their items are from known designers such as Fendi, Prada, YSL, and Givenchy to name a few.
In 2021, Reebonz was acquired by Livecommerce Entertainment and has now rebranded itself as ReebonzLIVE. It now provides daily live selling shows on different social media platforms.
What makes it unique?
While other e-commerce sites offer common products, Reebonz has taken it a step further by offering luxury items. They also have deals exclusive to Asian designers.
Rakuten Singapore sells a wide range of products including electronics, clothing, and vehicle accessories. Due to aggressive acquisitions and investment raising, it has achieved eCommerce success worldwide.
Rakuten also offers a loyalty point system for its customers.
What makes it unique?
More than half of Rakuten's sellers are from Japan with products not commonly seen in the United States. These shops sometimes offer free delivery to consumers when they purchase a minimum quantity.
Amazon is a massive eCommerce corporation that started its roots in the US as an online bookshop. Since then, it has become the marketplace it is today. It first entered the ASEAN market in 2017 with its Prime Services in Singapore. Two years later, Amazon.sg was launched.
It offers a variety of products such as music, literature, skincare, gadgets, and apparel to name a few.
While fairly new in Singapore, the company quickly rose to the ranks of homegrown platforms and has maintained a good position in terms of web traffic. By the end of 2020, it took over Qoo10 to become the third-most-popular eCommerce website.
What makes it unique?
Amazon has developed tools in providing world-class customer service to their consumers that help them monitor deliveries, return products, or make their online shopping convenient.
Castlery was started in 2013 as a startup company by a former investment banker as a platform providing furniture to homeowners. Since then, it now services around 50 areas across Singapore, Australia, and the United States.
Each piece of furniture is designed to fit any personal style of their customers, may it be from mid-century modern to contemporary. The materials for their furniture, on the other hand, are durable and high-quality.
Castlery also has a trade program for industry professionals who wants to trade their industry knowledge for members-only benefits. They also have an affiliate program for interested individuals who want to make a commission for every purchase made through their affiliate link.
What makes it unique?
Castlery offers furniture that's in with the latest trends at a fair price. They have a team of designers for their products.
COURTS is a company that specializes in consumer electronics and furniture with more than 14, 000 products to choose from. It first started in the United Kingdom before starting in Singapore in 1974. Since then, it has built a network of physical stores nationwide.
In 2017, it first launched its online store and has now become one of the most popular eCommerce sites.
What makes it unique?
COURTS have an omnichannel strategy where customers can purchase products online before picking them up in physical stores. It integrates in-store and online experiences which gives customers more options on how they purchase.
Love, Bonito is an eCommerce brand loved for its offer of women's fashion items. It started as a blog shop in 2006 and since then has earned the favour of its Asian female audiences due to its catered Asian sizes. The company specialises in modern fashion wear for women.
After receiving investments, they have now expanded to the whole Asia Pacific Region.
What makes it unique?
Since Love, Bonito caters to the Asia Pacific Region, they offer Asian sizes for their customers, which fit them perfectly.
Compared to the online marketplaces in this list, Shopback is not an eCommerce site per see. Instead, it provides aggregate deals from different eCommerce sites and rewards its consumers with money back for every purchase. Since it was founded in 2014, Shopback has secured various funding from different ventures.
Its platform has a host of other eCommerce sites like Zalora and Lazada. Due to these partnerships, they offer a wide selection of products from fashion and electronics to food.
What makes it unique?
Shopback's reward programme lets customers earn their money back for every purchase they make. Aside from this, their programme features products from various sources, which helps in the purchasing decision of their customers.
HipVan is a well-known eCommerce platform offering designer furniture targeted to affluent millennials who grew up shopping online. It does not have over 20, 000 products from furniture to home decor, and kitchenware.
It also has a separate section for blogs on interior decoration tips. Since its founding, it has received numerous funding from different ventures.
What makes it unique?
Hipvan offers a 100-day home trial period for their products. You also don't have to break the bank in purchasing their high-quality products as they're offered at an affordable price.
FortyTwo first started in 2007 with only 50 products and operated only by 3 people. Since then, it has expanded to over 20, 000 listed furniture, home decoration, and lifestyle products. It's now considered the biggest home furnishing e-commerce website in Singapore, boasting hundreds of thousands of visits a month.
FortyTwo doesn't have a showroom for its products and operates 100% online. This helps them offer affordable prices to its customers.
What makes it unique?
Since the site purely operates online, its products don't come with overhead costs. Most of their products also come with a free assembly.
Foodpanda Singapore is an eCommerce business where you can order food from your desired restaurant through their mobile app and have it delivered to your doorstep. It first started in Germany before expanding to multiple countries, including Singapore.
In 2021, it recorded more than 390, 000 new restaurant partners and more than 370, 000 new riders in the Asia Pacific Region.
What makes it unique?
Foodpanda connects its consumers with local businesses offering local meals, which helps these businesses offer deliveries to their customers without the required large investment.
Selling and Shopping Made Easy
There are so many eCommerce sites to choose from as more people become digitally connected by day. However, not all eCommerce sites are made equal. Whether you're a startup or an independent retailer hoping to market their products or a consumer, choosing the best website to serve your needs is essential.
You have to take into account several benefits as a merchant such as monthly traffic or whether the platform has a terrific website. As a consumer, you consider whether the platform gives competitive pricing or provides good services.
Pierre, a digital marketing expert with over a decade of experience in the industry. Pierre has helped numerous businesses grow their online presence and achieve their marketing goals through strategic digital marketing campaigns. He loves football (a Real Madrid fan) and enjoys Italian food.
.svg)
