Asia's Vendors Embrace the Web

Many mom and pop retailers in Asia, robbed of their market income due to the Covid-19 pandemic have turned to social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to hawk their wares. So many small vendors have embraced buying, selling, and haggling online that Thailand is now Southeast Asia's largest market for so-called social commerce transactions, according to Line Corp., maker of the popular eponymous messaging app. Everything from home-baked brownies to lemongrass-scented cleaning products can be found on Thailand's virtual shelves. A similar trend is unfolding in Indonesia and the Philippines, where outdoor markets and street vendors are also common and traditional retail has been upended by Covid-19.