Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, December 8, 2025 — Federal Express Corporation, one of the world’s largest express transportation companies, released insights from a recent survey exploring trends and sentiment around the year-end festive shopping season among businesses and consumers across Asia Pacific (APAC) and Europe, including Malaysia.
Conducted in September 2025, the survey gathered insights from 850 small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) and 850 consumers across 13 APAC markets, including 30 Malaysian SMEs and 30 Malaysian consumers who actively purchase from European sellers. It also examines business expectations for the holiday gifting season and highlights customer preferences and concerns.
Malaysian Consumers Spread Holiday Shopping Across the Year-End Peak
Malaysian consumers are spreading their holiday shopping across the entire year-end peak, with 30% starting in October, 23% in November, and another 30% in December. This trend reflects strong optimism, as half of consumers plan to increase their online shopping compared to last year, and nearly one-third aim to complete at least half of their purchases online. Fashion, food, and electronics dominate the shopping list, with product quality (83%), brand reputation (77%), and uniqueness (50%) emerging as the key factors influencing purchase decisions.
Cross-border e-commerce and major online shopping festivals continue to fuel demand. This year, shopping festivals such as Double 11, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday are especially influential, with 97% of Malaysian consumers factoring these events into their holiday purchase planning. Reflecting this trend, SMEs are adjusting their strategies: 91% of APAC businesses (97% for Malaysian businesses) and 83% of European businesses view e-commerce shopping festivals as critical for capturing seasonal demand.
Logistics and Delivery Are Key Purchase Drivers
Fast and reliable delivery is a top priority for Malaysian consumers, with 97% considering it important. Yet, delayed deliveries (77%) and elevated shipping costs (57%) are the primary pain points from previous seasons, underscoring the need for e-tailers to optimize logistics performance and customer experience.
These concerns directly impact purchasing decisions, with Malaysian consumers saying they would be more likely to buy from European sellers if there were more product choices (73%), more sustainable options (60%), and better return policies (50%). The survey also revealed that most Malaysian consumers purchase European products through e-commerce marketplaces (80%), more than double the share of direct brand websites (13%) and physical stores (7%), highlighting a strong preference towards online shopping.
Malaysian SMEs are responding to these rising expectations, with 53% offering more localized products or product ranges for the European market and 43% enhancing fulfillment and delivery operations. Encouragingly, 97% report confidence in meeting delivery deadlines for international shipments this holiday season.
Empowering SMEs with Integrated E-Commerce and Digital Logistics Solutions
“Malaysia’s holiday shopping season, spanning between October and December, reflects the need for businesses to adopt agile strategies as well as manage inventory and delivery capacity effectively,” said Woon Tien Long, managing director, FedEx Malaysia. “At FedEx, we’re supporting SMEs with advanced planning tools and flexible delivery solutions, helping them meet customer expectations consistently while staying competitive in a dynamic e-commerce landscape.”
FedEx’s comprehensive e-commerce solutions support e-tailers in streamlining order fulfillment. The company has integrated its Ship Manager platform, with leading e-commerce marketplaces such as Shopify and BigCommerce, enabling APAC e-tailers to create shipments and manage paperwork directly from their online orders. These easy-to-use, friction-free services are crucial for e-commerce merchants, especially during the busy holiday season when order volumes increase significantly.
To meet rising expectations for speed and reliability, e-commerce shipping services such as FedEx® International Connect Plus (FICP) help merchants ship within Asia Pacific as well as to the U.S. and Europe. This cost-effective international solution typically delivers most shipments within one to three business days[1], aligning closely with consumer demand for fast delivery.
Last-mile delivery also remains central to shaping consumer experience, and FedEx has built a network of approximately 260,000 smart lockers across APAC, providing customers with secure pickup locations. Additionally, customizable delivery options, along with direct messaging and convenient tracking through digital tools like FedEx® Delivery Manager International and Picture of Proof Delivery, provide consumers with the assurance that their packages have been delivered right to their doorsteps.