Amid rising rents in South-east Asia, brands could see a renaissance from e-commerce

[SINGAPORE] The boom for e-commerce in South-east Asia might be finding a second wind from an unlikely source: brands.

E-commerce in the region exploded during the pandemic. With people forced to stay home, digital penetration surged as they turned to e-commerce apps and ordered online.

For the companies operating these e-commerce platforms, however, profits have not increased in tandem with the rise in number of users.