E-commerce market to hit $40.5b in 2026 amidst digital-savvy shopper base

Growth is driven by festivals and livestreaming.

The e-commerce market is projected to grow 17.7% to $40.5b in 2026, driven by strong consumer appetite for online shopping, advanced digital infrastructure, and a large population of digitally proficient consumers, according to a GlobalData report.

The market grew an estimated 18.8% to $34.4b in 2025 and is forecast to reach $63.4b by 2030, supported by shopping festivals—including Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Singles’ Day—platform sales events, and partner merchant discounts.

Livestream shopping is emerging as a key sales channel through TikTok, Shopee Live, Lazada Live, and Facebook Live, the report noted.

DBS ran live selling workshops for small and medium enterprises clients in April 2025, whilst a partnership with TikTok and Boom Media trained over 70 participants in content creation and presentation.

Delivery infrastructure continues to expand, with RedMart Now launching in February 2026 to provide 30-minute delivery in select areas. Grab and foodpanda also serve the market.

International retailers are entering Singapore’s market as Myntra launched its online platform in May 2025, offering 35,000 product styles targeting the city-state's Indian diaspora of 650,000.

Amazon Singapore opened its Everyday Essentials store the same month, featuring 100,000 products from local and international brands.

Kartik Challa, senior banking and payments analyst at GlobalData, said the market depends on a strong digital ecosystem for transactions and logistics, and noted that changes in consumer behaviour and digital tools continue to drive growth.

Follow the link for more news on

GlobalData

Chart of the Day

If you've been wondering whether SBR could work for your company — yes, probably.

A lot of the companies we partner with started as readers. They'd been following our coverage for a while, saw their own customers and competitors in it, and eventually asked the obvious question: could we do something with you? The answer is usually yes. The shape of it depends on what you're trying to do.

The options are broader than most people assume — thought leadership articles, sponsored content, industry summits across Southeast Asia, regional awards programmes, podcasts, and media placements in print and digital. Some partners use one channel; most use a mix. We figure out the right combination by starting with your brief, not with our rate card.

So if the question has been on your mind, here's the easy way to ask it.

We'll tell you honestly whether we can help, and how. It's a better use of everyone's time.

Book a meeting

| Or download the media kit (PDF)

240,000 senior readers quarterly in print Top 1,700 Singapore companies reached

7 markets across Southeast Asia