Criteo (NASDAQ: CRTO), the global commerce intelligence platform, today unveiled findings from its Spark of Discovery 2026 report. Drawing on consumer and brand perceptions across Singapore, India and Australia, and benchmarked against broader APAC trends, the study finds that Singapore is setting the direction for the next phase of e-commerce in the region. Digitally confident and clear about what good looks like,
Singapore shoppers have moved on from excitement and novelty as purchase drivers – relevance, reliability and experiences that respect their time are what matter now. For brands, the findings are a call to action. While 99% of Singapore brands believe their current discovery strategies are effective, just 36% strongly agree they contribute to brand growth. With major shopping moments such as 10.10, 11.11 and 12.12 on the horizon, closing that gap has never been more urgent.
Singapore Shoppers Want Discovery to Be Useful, Not Novel Singapore approaches e-commerce with confidence and a clear sense of what they want. Only 32% consider online shopping as more of a “chore” than in-person retail, well below the regional average (37%) and significantly below India (55%). Efficiency is key; 43% cite the need for a faster, less time-consuming experience as their top e-commerce improvement.
More than 3 in 5 (63%) say joy matters when they shop online, however, Singapore brings intention to the experience. They are almost as open to finding something new (60%) as they are to sticking to their list (62%), with this openness to discovery higher than elsewhere in the region, like Australia (54%). Discovery here must feel useful, timely and worth the effort.
Influencers Don’t Move Shoppers in Singapore, Peer Reviews Do
Only 28% of Singapore Shoppers say influencer content drives brand excitement, below the APAC average of 34% and well behind India at 54%. What resonates instead is credibility – 54% cite positive forum reviews as a top excitement driver, and 51% point to easy access to customer support.
Among impulse shoppers, 59% say attractive product design is the top trigger – a response to product quality, not social pressure. Only 8% cite peer pressure as a factor, compared to 19% in India. In Singapore, the products that earn unplanned purchases do so on their own merits.
Data Sharing Is a Considered Exchange
Consumers in Singapore are already behaving like the conditions under which AI-assisted commerce thrives – outcome-focused, trust-conscious and responsive to relevance over novelty. When it comes to AI, they are selective; almost three in five (59%) know that sharing more data leads to more tailored recommendations, and more than half (56%) are comfortable with brands using their purchase history for product recommendations. That comfort narrows to 43% when it comes to brands sharing their email contacts. For Singapore shoppers, data sharing is a considered exchange.
Timing is as important as relevance. More than two in five (44%) cite seeing the right ad at the right moment as a top excitement driver – a clear signal that the AI opportunity in Singapore lies in precision. Brands are responding, with 92% planning to use AI to improve user experience and 91% intending to use it to remove guesswork from product discovery. Consumers have already signalled what they want. The next step is for brands to use AI to deliver it.
“Singapore is a strong indicator of where e-commerce in Asia-Pacific is heading. Consumers here are highly digitally literate — they know exactly what a great shopping experience looks like, and they have no patience for anything less. They want discovery to find them at the right moment, not interrupt them at the wrong one” said Sukesh Singh, Managing Director, SEA at Criteo.
“For brands, that’s both the challenge and the opportunity. Generic, broad-reach campaigns don’t cut it anymore. What wins is algorithmic precision that actually respects the shopper’s intent — and AI is what makes that possible at scale. Get it right in Singapore, and you’ve cracked a template for the rest of the region.”
The Bar Has Been Raised – How Brands Can Clear It
Criteo’s findings show that broad, untargeted campaigns will not land with Singapore shoppers. For brands that want to cut through here, AI is the tool that makes that possible at scale.
More than four in five (85%) Singapore consumers say shopping festivals shape what they discover and buy, highlighting 10.10, 11.11 and 12.12 as prime opportunities for brands to get the right product in front of the right shopper at the right time. AI-powered recommendation tools grounded in real purchase behaviour will go further than blanket discounts. Investments in peer reviews, customer support and clear signals of product quality are likely to be more effective than influencer-led activity in this market.
Singapore shoppers respond to brands that put in the effort to be genuinely relevant. With the right AI infrastructure in place, that relevance can be delivered consistently and at scale. For brands that get AI-enable relevancy right, Singapore stands out as a high-value opportunity.
Methodology
The Criteo Spark of Discovery study was commissioned by Criteo in partnership with VCCP Roar, with survey design, fieldwork, and data integration managed by independent research specialist Vitreous World. The study includes quantitative surveys covering both consumer behaviour and B2B perspectives across key markets including Singapore, Australia and India. Fieldwork was conducted December 2025 – January 2026.
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