While growth of Southeast Asia’s e-commerce market has accelerated since the mid-2010s, the COVID-19 pandemic has propelled it into an new phase. From 2016 to 2021, the total value of e-commerce sales grew fivefold, or 40 percent, annually. And e-commerce’s share of all retail sales surged to 20 percent, from 5 percent.
This new stage of Southeast Asia’s e-commerce market isn’t just a matter of increased value. Across the subcontinent, more people are buying a wider array of products online across more diversified channels. To accommodate this expanded range of fulfillment demands, the region’s supply chains are shifting. New logistics capabilities will likely be required, and incumbent logistical players and new entrants…