Most Indonesian E-commerce Businesses Sell Food and Beverages

According to a report by the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), of the approximately 15,600 e-commerce businesses surveyed in 2021, the majority, or 41.5%, sold food and beverages.

Other popular product categories included clothing or fashion, followed by household goods.

Here's a breakdown of the proportion of e-commerce businesses in Indonesia based on the type of goods/services sold in 2021:

1. Food and beverages: 41.5%
2. Fashion: 16.25%
3. Household goods: 9.67%
4. Cosmetics: 6.85%
5. Transportation/shipping services: 6.17%
6. Entertainment/hobbies/sports: 5.79%
7. Mobile phones/pulsa/accessories/services: 5.76%
8. Transportation equipment: 4.61%
9. Pharmaceuticals: 3.99%
10. Books/magazines/newspapers/stationery: 2.88%
11. Building materials: 2.57%
12. Electronics: 2.41%
13. Accommodation services: 1.66%
14. Education services: 1.1%

The BPS conducted this survey on a sample of 15,677 e-commerce businesses spread across 34 provinces and 159 regencies/cities. The sample in this survey comprised businesses that used the internet to receive orders or sell goods/services in 2021.

According to the BPS, most Indonesian e-commerce businesses use instant messaging and social media as sales channels, and the most frequently used payment method is cash on delivery (COD).

"Almost half, or 49.82%, of businesses started e-commerce activities immediately upon commencing operations. A further 23.48% of businesses started e-commerce activities more than 5 years after commencing operations," stated the BPS in its *2022 eCommerce Statistics* report.

"The main challenge experienced in conducting e-commerce activities during 2021 was dominated by a lack of demand for goods and services," it continued.