2017 was an exciting year for the e-commerce landscape in Southeast Asia.

With mobile penetration rates in Southeast Asia rapidly climbing, retailers have increasing room to utilise the mobile platform as an avenue to reach their consumers. In order to get the best results from their mobile app platforms however, they would have to interact with their customers at the mobile apps that peddle their goods. According to Fung Business Intelligence, modern Asian consumers are tech savvy, highly-connected, experience- and convenience-driven.

Internet commerce or e-commerce across Southeast Asia last year was worth US$50 billion according to a 2017 Google Temasek report. It is also predicted that Southeast Asia’s internet economy will grow to US$200 billion by 2025 driven mostly by the growth of online travel, e-commerce and online media.

One of the biggest online retailers on the planet, Amazon is looking to creep into the burgeoning Southeast Asian e-commerce market. According to a TechCrunch report in November 2016, Amazon have been covertly buying assets and making new hires in the region. The report mentioned that Amazon’s plans in the region are led by Steven Scrive, head of Business Development in ASEAN. Singapore witnessed their first move into the region last year with the launch of Amazon Prime in the country.

It’s no secret that Southeast Asia has become a hotbed for tech startups. Since 2012, there have been a number of tech companies that have become household names and changed the lives of people in Southeast Asia.

Apps. They’re everywhere.They’ve permeated so many facets of our lives that we probably don’t even realise how dependent we’ve become on the dozens (or hundreds) of little icons littered across our phones and tablets.This explosion of app-dependence isn’t surprising, by any means. The Southeast Asian region is home to some of the most tech-savvy people in the world. Over half of the region’s population, 339.2 million people to be exact, are connected to the internet.