Post Covid-19, what do you think the future of the retail and e-commerce sector will be? Continued rapid growth?

Even though e-commerce is now a core pillar for retailers, experts say physical stores still play a role and will evolve from just being a traditional sales channel. Customers still want elements of a traditional retail experience, such as physical interaction with the products in a brick-and-mortar shop. As such, retailers need to make sure that the overall offering in the store complements what is sold online. Additionally, tech-savvy customers on e-commerce platforms will bring such digital expectations when they visit physical stores. To that end, retailers will have to recognise and respond to such new expectations. Based on a recent article by Vulcan Post, at the current pace, Shopee is not only going to leave Lazada in the dust in SEA, but will eclipse Alibaba’s entire international e-commerce business, even though it is rooted in a single SEA region (and just started venturing into Latin America) as soon as the first or second quarter of 2022.

-Shermaine

Retail will always have a part, everyone loves to touch and feel things. However, they might not want to pay retail prices (i.e. they will buy the same thing online if it's cheaper / e-commerce).

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Also, it will depend on what type of retail you are referring to. E.g. Most buyers will go to car showroom to test drive before buying it at the showroom (i.e. They will not buy online due to trust issue). Although this might change in future but not likely in the near future.