Ecommerce / news
Two in three Southeast Asian consumers buy on creator recommendations, report finds
A new report reveals that 67% of Southeast Asian shoppers have made a purchase due to a creator's recommendation, even as generative AI tools like ChatGPT gain ground in product discovery.
The E-commerce Influencer and Affiliate Marketing in Southeast Asia 2026 report, compiled by impact.com, Cube and Dentsu, assessed the influence of different recommendation sources on purchase decisions. Family and friends scored 2.42 out of four, ahead of online reviews at 2.36 and creators at 1.98.
Despite creators scoring lower on the influence scale, two-thirds of consumers, or 67%, said they had purchased a product specifically because a creator recommended it. The finding underscores the continued role of trusted voices in shopping choices.
About 24% of Southeast Asian consumers now use generative AI tools for shopping. ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude are emerging as a new product discovery channel across Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines.
The report's release coincides with projections that Southeast Asia's e-commerce sales will rise nearly 15% year on year to $219 billion in 2026. The data highlights how human trust remains central to purchases even as AI-based discovery gains ground in the region's fast-growing digital market.